WWC2: Collision Course
by SunRei
Summary: Clois. AU The sequel to When Worlds Collide. The search for Destiny pulled them apart. What will it take to bring them back together? Complete!
1. Prologue

**A/N: **This is a sequel to the bout of musings that came to be known as WWC. I highly suggest that you read that one first. (BTW: I created a Flash movie that recaps the first story. See the media page on my site.) Unlike its predecessor, this part of the tale has little direct correlation to the current series... so buckle up. Let's see where this ride takes us!

**When Worlds Collide 2 - Collision Course **

**Ch 1 - Prologue**

* * *

_-- Tenochtitlan, Mexico - March 2010 --_

Clark Kent reached to massage the back of his neck as he marveled at the remains of the ancient Aztecan temple. He tried to imagine what it had looked like during the time when the ancient civilization had thrived.

He had been all over the world in the past five years. When he arrived in China five years ago, he'd found out that the mystical map hadn't been a map at all. It was a drawing of the temple from a position outside of it. When he'd found the location, it had only served as a clue leading somewhere else. There were times when he felt like he was on a crazy treasure hunt. There were also times when he felt like he wasn't the only one searching.

He'd learned a great deal about every civilization he'd encountered. It was like a real life history lesson each day. He had never really paid much attention in his tenth grade world history class— but this was so much more… intense than any lecture could ever be.

He'd studied under a sensei to learn the way of the samurai. His time in Africa had earned him the ability to recount all the animals that had passed through an area within weeks. In Greece, he had reached the peak of Vasilista, visualizing the fantastic tales of the Greek divinity.

As food and supplies grew scarce, he'd had to work, finding a certain comfort and familiarity in doing the labor he once shared with his father. Work as a sailor earned his passage on ships, and farm duties often granted him lodging and a meal. Writing became an outlet, as he described the sites he'd seen, the people he met, and the world that he never knew existed.

Sometimes he was able to submit an article to various global news services, a small income that helped fund his never ceasing travels. Yet there were still questions he didn't have answers to.

Glancing down at the black pouch in his hand, he took another look at the temple. This was the place where he'd finally found the third stone. It was time to go home.

* * *

_tbc_


	2. Recrudesce

**Ch 2 - Recrudesce**

**

* * *

**

_  
-- Smallville - March 2010_ --

Five years ago he'd stood in this exact same spot. The sight of the yellow farmhouse in front of him brought a lump to his throat. He didn't think it had changed one bit— and that was absolutely fine with him.

He picked up the large duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. Over the years, he had learned to keep his possessions light and few. He hadn't spoken to his parents in over… wow, almost an entire year. They had no idea that he was coming home. He'd been sending them postcards, letters, and short emails when he could, but the calls had been few and far between, especially when the choice centered on food or the cost of an international call. They had grown accustomed to gaps of time passing between their communications. This last gap was longer than usual, but he'd thought they would be happier to see him than to get another short update.

He felt guilty about it. The longer he was away, the easier it became to get caught up in his new life. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to them— he just rarely knew what to say. Their questions had reminded him that he was nowhere closer to figuring everything out than he was on the day he left.

Clark frowned as the handle to the front door refused to turn. When had they started locking the doors? He decided to stash his bag in the loft.

He was selfishly satisfied to see that it hadn't changed. It was clean and dust free, but everything was in the place he had last left it. He patted the pocket of his jacket where the stone was encased in its pouch. He was due a visit to the caves.

* * *

Getting inside the caves was a bit trickier than it had been before. The powers that be seemed to be resolute on keeping leisure seekers out of the protected historical site. As far as he could tell, it was closed off completely. He wondered how long it would be before the caves became a tourist attraction, charging admission to support the claims of upkeep. He would have to think about what he could do to make sure that didn't happen.

He accessed the secret chamber without trouble and walked to the platform that held the other two crystals. Shaking the third stone from the pouch, he imagined what it would be like once it was inserted to its place among the rest. With a deep breath of anticipation he placed it into the depression.

Nothing happened.

Frowning, he took a closer look. The stones did not meet up. It was apparent that they should, for in many areas their jagged edges fit together like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. The problem was the middle. There was a sliver missing, leaving a gaping notch in the heart of the monument.

Silently cursing, Clark remembered the piece of crystal that had been destroyed when Lionel and Lex had switched bodies. His eyes squeezed shut in frustration.

Five years. He'd traveled for five years to find the final key to the puzzle, only to not have it work. He'd wasted five years.

He backed slowly to the wall, turning to step out of the chamber when the rocks opened. Sighing, he turned to leave.

* * *

Martha reached for the handle to the rear door of the SUV and sighed. Leaning, she pulled out a bag of groceries and silently acknowledged the fact that she would have to come back for the rest. She had a purse and briefcase hanging from one shoulder, and balanced the bag in the other arm as she fiddled with her keys. She continued to do the one-handed jig as she climbed the steps of the porch.

She was going to have to get Jonathan to cook more often, she decided. When Lex Luthor had decided to divest his Smallville assets in preparation for his move to Metropolis, they had been lucky enough to make a successful bid for The Talon. She was now the proud owner and operator of the town's finest coffee house.

Smallville wasn't so small anymore, as the town had steadily grown over the past few years. The location of The Talon had put them in a prime position to benefit from the growth. They still had bill worries, but overall, they were comfortable.

As she reached the door, she reminded herself to drive out and take a look at the sign that reported the number of citizens one day. She could never keep up.

Martha gasped as she realized she wasn't alone. The creaking of the porch swing caught her attention, and she quickly turned, startled by the identity of her visitor.

Clark laughed and rushed to catch the bag just as his mother released it.

"Cl…Clark?"

"Hi, Mom."

She stood with her mouth gaping open as he gently took the keys from her and opened the door. She followed slowly behind him when he stepped inside and put the bag on the counter.

"Clark?" she asked again, her voice breaking with emotion as she came to terms with the fact that he was actually standing before her. She shook her head in wonderment as he gathered her in his arms.

When they parted, he pressed a kiss to her cheek and grinned. "I'm home."

Martha was still having trouble speaking. "I… see that. You didn't say… the last time we talked you were… Are you hungry?"

Clark laughed at the befuddled expression on his mother's face. "I'll go get the rest of the bags from the car."

Martha bustled around the kitchen, unsure of what to do first. Clark returned and helped her put the groceries away, then pulled a stool up to the kitchen island.

"Let me get you something, and then you can tell me what's been happening for the past— wow, it's been ten months hasn't it?"

Clark nodded. "Mom, sit down! You don't have to get me anything." He ducked his head when he received the look she sent him. "Okay, some of that pie would be great."

As his mother turned to cut a slice, he sat down. "I would have called, but I figured it would be better to just show up. Surprise!"

Martha set the plate down in front of him and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "A very good surprise."

He moved to lay his head against her chest for a moment before straightening and reaching for his fork.

"What's with the glasses? You're not having trouble with your eyes again are you?"

Taking a moment to savor the taste of his mother's apple pie, he merely shook his head and swallowed. "No. After a couple of close calls, I decided I needed a way to change my appearance."

"Close calls, Clark?" She gave him a worried look. "Someone saw you do something… odd?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "Not really. I've been careful. It's just a precaution. Mostly." He quickly shoved another forkful into his mouth. "Mmph, thsh good."

Martha frowned and stroked the side of his face. She would wait. After all, he'd have to tell it all again when Jonathan got home.

She went to pour him a glass of milk.

They heard a door slam, followed by heavy footsteps as they clomped up the stairs and across the porch.

"With all the fuss he puts up when we drop him off, you'd think he'd _want_ to come home. I swear, that kid wouldn't get into the car if I didn't take the dog with me…" Jonathan's tirade faltered as he noticed there was someone else in the room. "Oh, sorry, honey. I didn't know we had company."

He walked over to kiss his wife and turned to face the young man.

"Clark?"

"Hey, Dad," he smiled, laughing as he was pulled into a fierce hug.

The sound of barking caught his attention.

"Shelby!" he exclaimed, glancing toward the door.

His expression showed confusion when high-pitched squeals of laughter sounded, followed by more barking. He stood and walked to the screen door.

A toddler with fair hair was wrestling with the good-natured pet. As the little boy grasped handfuls of fur at the dog's neck, he was being covered with sloppy kisses.

Clark turned back to face his parents, who were sharing a pointed look.

"Whose kid?"

Jonathan cleared his throat and motioned for Clark to return to the table.

Clark frowned and slowly made his way back to his parents, briefly turning to look at the child once more.

"What is it?" he asked, realizing that his parents were hesitating.

Martha reached out and took his hand. "He's Lois's."

* * *

Clark's heart twisted painfully in his chest. She hadn't waited for him after all. Not that he'd thought that she would. It's just… he hadn't thought that she wouldn't.

His teeth clenched as he tried to smile. He moved back to the door, gazing out at the little boy. He was gorgeous.

Lois. In his dreams, things had turned out differently. After seeing his parents, the first thing he had planned on doing was going to find her. Guess he was too late.

But here was her son… at his parent's house. Which meant she would be back soon.

"Where is Lois?" he asked, trying to sound upbeat.

Martha stepped up beside him, smiling at the scene outside. "We don't know," she answered sadly.

Alarmed, he turned to face her. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

Martha looked at him with a pained expression on her face; then turned to look at her husband. Clark followed suit, his eyes wide with questions.

Jonathan sighed. "Nobody does."

* * *

_tbc_


	3. Sanctuary

**Ch 3 - Sanctuary **

**

* * *

**_-- June 2009 (Nine Months Earlier)_ -- 

The attractive black woman took her eyes off of the lonely stretch of highway and glanced at her rearview mirror. She smiled at the reflection of the sleeping boy in the car seat.

"It's going to be okay, kiddo." Sighing, she returned her attention to the road.

A few hours later, she pulled into the drive of the Kent Farm. In the dark, she had missed the entry the first time and had to back up to find it. She had started to miss the lights of Metropolis two hours ago.

Glancing at the farmhouse, she was relieved to see that a light was still on inside. It was late to be making house calls, but this was an emergency. She hoped they wouldn't mind.

The baby fidgeted as she pulled him out of his seat. She shushed him quietly as he snuggled into her embrace and calmed. She pushed the door shut as quietly as she could manage and headed toward the porch.

Moments after she knocked, the inner door opened and through the screen she encountered the questioning face of a man in his 40's. Behind him, further in the house, a woman with red hair looked on with interest.

"Can we help you?" the man asked.

"Jonathan and Martha Kent?"

At his nod, she shifted the weight of the child and rubbed his back. "My name is Catherine Grant. I hate to bother you this late… but, it's really important. Do you think I can come in?"

* * *

Cat reached over and lightly brushed the child's hair before facing the Kent's again. They were seated in the den and she had laid the baby down next to her on the couch. 

"Lois and I are friends, and we work together at The Planet. I do the Society Page while Lois is with Investigation," Cat laughed nervously. "But you probably already know that."

Jonathan shook his head. "Actually, we haven't talked to Lois in quite a while. A little over a year, I guess." He looked at Martha, and she nodded in agreement. That was about the time the Christmas cards had stopped coming.

"We've been following Lois's career through her articles, but we never knew she had a child," Martha added.

"Oh," Cat replied quietly. "She talked about you guys all the time. I'm sorry- I just thought… well anyway, um, about a week ago, Lois asked me to watch Cole while she ran an errand. She never came back."

Martha reached for her husband's hand. "What happened?"

"We don't know. The police have been looking but there's no trace…" Cat sighed, glancing at the baby.

"She made me promise that if anything ever happened to her, I would bring him here. She said that you were good to her when she was in a bad situation once. I would keep him, and I still will if you can't. I mean, I've been like an aunt to him all his life, and… well, the authorities need to make sure he's placed…"

"Catherine," Martha interrupted.

"It's Cat… please."

"Cat," Martha agreed, smiling. It was obvious that the woman was attached to the child. "We would do anything in our power to help Lois, but what about her family? Her father… or her sister? Her cousin Chloe?"

"I don't know too much, but she and her father haven't spoken since before Cole was born. His name is Nicholas, actually. Her mother's maiden name was Nichols… and she calls him Cole." Cat shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "I'm sorry. It's been a hectic week. I'm not sure about her sister or her cousin, but Lois always said to bring him here. Her father was angry that she refused to get married, and the whole illegitimate child issue was a huge disagreement between them. Let's see, what else? I know there's more, but I'm just a little frazzled. Sorry."

Cat reached for her glass of water and took a sip. She carefully replaced the glass trying to make her shaking hand less noticeable. "Lois said that she would put it in her will, not that they're ready to claim that she's dead or anything. But for his sake… I wanted to… bring him... sooner than later."

Martha and Jonathan exchanged a look. There was a lot of information they needed to process.

"You can stay in the guest room for the night. You look exhausted. Let me get you set up and we'll finish talking in the morning." Martha smiled as Cat nodded and stood.

Cat bent to gather Cole into her arms, and his eyes fluttered open. A pout crept onto his face as he took in his unfamiliar surroundings and a tiny fist grasped onto Cat's blouse. Martha immediately knew that this little boy had her heart.

* * *

_tbc_


	4. Nicholas

**Ch 4 - Nicholas **

**

* * *

**

_Smallville, March 2010 (Present Day) --  
_

Clark held his head in his hands and tried to comprehend the story that his parents had just told him.

Nicholas… Cole… Lois's child. Living with his parents because Lois was missing.

He tried to create a timeline in his head. They said that Cole came in June. That was nine months ago. _Nine_ months and no one knew where Lois was.

Jonathan stood and walked to the door. "They've gotten quiet out there. I better go check."

Martha smiled in agreement and turned her attention back to her son.

"What's the latest on the search?" he asked.

"Nothing. Perry White's the editor of The Planet now. He's promised to keep us updated since he knows we have Cole."

"Martha!" Jonathan called from the porch. "You'd better come out here."

Martha frowned and went to the door. Once there, she let out a laugh. Clark rose to see what was going on. When he looked out, he found himself smiling in spite of his worries.

Cole and Shelby were sitting in the middle of the drive, both covered with drying mud. Shelby's fur was clumped and matted, while Cole's hair was spiked and dripping. He was looking up at Jonathan with a wide grin, arms outstretched for a hug.

Martha stepped through the screen door. "Looks like we better divide and conquer. Which one do you want?"

Jonathan looked at the two culprits with disdain. "I guess I'll take the easy one since you got him last time." Smiling, he turned to kiss his wife before jumping down the steps. He swatted Cole lightly on the rump as he leaned down to pick him up. "Stay out of the mud, young man," he growled, rubbing his baby belly.

Cole laughed and pressed a kiss to Jonathan's cheek as he was handed to Martha.

"Look at you," she cried as she held Cole at arms length. "Jonathan Kent, you are on dirty diaper duty for the next week for this one!"

Jonathan laughed and whistled for Shelby to follow him into the barn.

Clark held the door open for his mother and watched her carry Cole up the stairs. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he was unsure of what to do with himself. His father could probably use a hand with the dog, he figured.

"Clark!"

The sound of his mother's voice made the decision for him. He jogged up the stairs.

Clark took in the changes to the bathroom as he entered. The old flowery wallpaper had been replaced with bright colors. Painted fishes swam across the wall to the bathtub, where his mother sat on a small stool and held a hand in the stream of water filling the tub. Cole was sitting in the suds, laughing as his yellow duck popped back to the surface every time he pushed it under water.

He cleared his throat. "How old is he?"

"He'll be three in a few months. Right Cole-man?"

"Three!" Cole agreed enthusiastically.

Martha turned the water off and stood, drying her hands on her jeans. "I need to get more towels. Can you watch him for a minute?"

Clark took a small step backwards. "I can get the towels for you."

Martha smiled as she stepped past him. "That's okay, I'll get them- he won't bite you, Clark." She laughed and pulled the door closed as she left.

Cole looked up as the door closed. "Where's Mi-mi?"

Clark looked at him worriedly, hoping he wouldn't start screaming. "She's coming right back," he offered, praying it was the truth.

They were both giving each other worried looks when Martha stepped through the door again, carrying a few towels. Clark sighed in relief.

"Mi-mi!" Cole exclaimed, splashing water onto the floor.

Martha laughed and moved to sit on the stool again, reaching for a washcloth and soap. Clark watched for a few minutes as his mother worked to erase the traces of mud from the little boy's body. Watching his mother get as wet as Cole during in the ordeal, Clark started to understand why his dad had chosen to bathe the dog.

Cole was a vibrant little guy. His fair hair was curling now that it was wet, and his squeals of laughter followed every splash of soapy water. Even though his features were still young, he could see the resemblance to Lois. Clark stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door. Noticing the drops of mud that marked his mother's path from the kitchen, he decided to clean up as a way of keeping himself from being overwhelmed by his thoughts.

* * *

As they sat around the table for dinner, Clark recounted what happened when he went to the cave earlier that day. 

"So it was all for nothing," he finished, glancing at the little boy in the high chair next to Martha's seat.

If he hadn't been gone for all that time, maybe Lois wouldn't be missing. He couldn't allow himself to think of the other possibilities.

"You don't know that, Son," Jonathan replied, reaching to hand Cole the spoon he'd just tossed on the table. "Nothing about those caves or those stones has ever worked in a logical manner. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"Wait and see," Clark repeated, disgustedly. "Well, it's never been said that you have to wait standing still."

"What do you mean?" Jonathan asked.

"I mean, I put everything on hold to go and look for that stone, only to have it mean absolutely nothing. Now, I'm putting all of that stuff, the caves, the stones, all of it, on hold while I get my life back together. I'm going to go look for Lois."

Clark noticed as Jonathan's gaze flicked to his mother's. "I know that they have been looking. I know you said they've found nothing, but I can get into places most people can't. I'll go to Metropolis tomorrow and talk to Perry. It might not be much, but it's a start. It's something."

Martha pushed her chair from the table and stood. "There's something else," she said, holding a finger up to indicate that she would be right back.

She left the room and returned with a sheet of paper. "Perry sent this to us a few months ago. Obviously we couldn't question Lois about it, but maybe you can answer…"

Clark accepted the paper from his mother and read the information. His jaw dropped as he realized what he was looking at. It was the birth certificate for Nicholas Lane _Kent_.

* * *

_tbc_


	5. Fortuity

**Chapter 5 - Fortuity**_

* * *

_

_-- Havana, Cuba - October 2006 (Four Years Earlier) --_

Clark shouted a greeting to the group of relaxed musicians that were standing in a loose circle across the street as he jumped from the bus. They shouted their replies and waved for him to join them, but he shook his head and pointed further down the street.

"Manana, si?" he shrugged, walking backwards.

The group groaned loudly in disagreement before turning back to their instruments.

Clark smiled and turned to face the direction he was heading. His grin faded as he noticed a female tourist dealing with the unwanted attentions of a _jinetero_, the Cuban version of a street hustler. Walking closer, he prepared himself to provide assistance if necessary. The woman was wearing a large white hat and sunglasses, giving off an obvious indication of being a foreigner. Her attire, and the fact that she was traveling alone, clearly made her a mark.

The man was commenting on the woman's beauty in broken English, and was trying to convince her to purchase a silver coin-shaped souvenir for three pesos. The woman rattled off a reply in fluent Spanish, explaining to the man that the coin he was trying to sell her was not a souvenir at all. She told him that she had already received seven of those shiny pieces in exchange for a single peso- at the bank. She then switched to English and told him that she would give him the three pesos if he could show her where she could find some authentic _arroz con pollo_.

Laughing, the hustler realized that he had met his match and replied in perfect English, "Chicken and Rice. A woman after my own heart."

Clark smiled at the exchange, as he passed behind the two. The woman knew how to handle herself. She reminded him of… it couldn't be.

"Lois?" he asked, turning to face her.

She turned to look at him and removed her glasses. "Clark? _Ohmigod!_" she exclaimed, launching herself into his arms.

Over her shoulder, the man held his hands in the air. "This one's for you, eh, Clark? You owe me three pesos, man."

Setting Lois on the ground, he shook his head. "Rafael, before she finished with you, you'd be giving _her_ three pesos."

Rafael smirked. "Whatever, man." He noticed a small group of foreigners on the other side of the street. "Hasta, Bonita. Duty calls." Flashing Lois a smile, he headed across the street, dodging a baby blue '57 Chevy.

Clark pulled Lois in for another hug. "What are you doing here?"

Having been on the island for almost three months, Clark knew that few Americans visited the country. The political unrest between the two nations had yet to settle. He knew that access to Cuba was limited to certain professions and required the payment of special fees, things that tended to discourage most American tourists.

"Working… kind of," Lois replied. She lifted a hand to his chin. "What is this scruff?" she asked, fingering his short beard.

He laughed and grabbed her hand. "What do you mean 'working, kind of'? Shouldn't you be in school or something?"

"Oh, great, you decide to go on this 'Amazing Race' around the world, and now you want to act all adult-ish?" She gave him a look of mock disdain. "I'm here with a couple of reporters from The Planet. We got permission to interview Fidelito Castro. With the rumors that his father's health is failing and the split public support between him and his uncle as to who will become number two, there's a lot of interest in the States."

"That's pretty heavy stuff. Why'd they bring you?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Because they know I'm going to be the best reporter in Planet history."

He couldn't stop smiling, amazed at the possibilities of having this chance encounter, thousands of miles away from where he'd last seen her. "Why are you dressed like this? You're like a magnet for those guys," he said, using a thumb to gesture to where Rafael was running his game on more tourists.

Lois pulled off her hat and ran a hand through her hair. "I was trying to get the full effect of Cuba. Being harassed is part of the experience." She dropped the hat on the head of a young boy as he passed by with a friend.

The two young boys gave her a bewildered look before running off laughing wildly, commenting about the strange lady.

Clark shook his head in wonderment.

"Clark, what are you doing in Cuba? I left you getting on a plane to China. Um, that's a bit of a distance to cover."

"It turns out that what I was looking for wasn't in China," he answered, shrugging.

"And it's in Cuba?" she asked, her eyebrows rising.

"Could be."

She sighed and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Same old farm boy," she remarked. "Except for that stuff on your chin…This is a story I've got to hear, but I'm starving. And since you scared my tour guide away, I think it's fitting that you take his place. Lead the way to Chicken and Rice, and I want the real deal, not what they give to tourists!"

Clark nodded and began leading her down the street. He knew just the place.

* * *

Lois sighed in content as she dropped her fork on the plate. "This is so good I may have to shoot the cook."

"What?" Clark asked, laughing.

"It's from a movie… never mind." She turned to the bartender. "This is the best I've ever had."

"Thank you," he said, replacing the glass he'd been drying. "I'll be sure to let my wife know. About the food, not the shooting."

Lois laughed and turned to face Clark. "That hit the spot, thank you."

He shrugged. "Sure. You're paying."

Her mouth dropped open as he grinned. "Well, in that case," she turned on her stool to face back to the bar. "Dos mojitos, por favor."

"Have you ever had a mojito?" Clark asked, aware of the potency of Cuban rum.

"No, but you can't come to Cuba and not try one."

"But you ordered two," he replied.

Lois leaned against the bar, propping her chin in her hand. "You're not going to make a girl drink alone, are you? It's not like he's gonna card you!"

Clark laughed and shrugged his indifference. "I can't get over the fact that you're here."

"I know," she agreed, smiling.

She thanked the bartender with a wide grin as he placed the two drinks in front of her. She slid one of them closer to Clark and took a sip of the other.

"Whoo!" she exclaimed as the lime flavored drink hit the back of her throat. "That is some good stuff!"

Turning back to face him, she idly stirred the ice around the glass with the tiny straw.

"Okay, so I've told you all about my job with The Planet and school," she started.

"I still find it hard to believe that you're going to be done next summer," Clark remarked. "Is this the same Lois Lane that got kicked out of more than one school?"

"Put a sock in it, Farm Boy. You know as well as I do that I was not kicked out the last time," she smirked. "I'm taking on extra credits, going full-time in the summers, and getting credit for work. Not to mention the credits that transferred from LCC. I can be serious when I want to." She arched an eyebrow in challenge as she waited for him to respond.

At a loss for a snarky reply, Clark just grinned and nodded. "I know," he agreed.

Lois shook her head and took another sip of her drink. "As I was saying, since I told you about me, it's your turn to spill."

Clark spent the next hour telling her about his time in China. She was enthralled by the story of the temple and the hidden compartment he'd uncovered behind one of the walls, after months of searching. It was the appearance of Kryptonite hidden there that had made him keep a respectable distance from the figurine in the small cavern. That distance had allowed him to realize that the embroidery on the figure's outfit had been the same as the picture on the manuscript. It was then that he understood that the map was a drawing. He'd needed the help of a professor of ancient Chinese art to find out where the next leg of his journey would take him.

"You should look into seeing if you can get some college credit for all of this. I bet you could get a history degree in no time," Lois said when he had finished his story.

"I never really thought of history as something I would want to major in," he responded doubtfully.

"That's not the point," she smiled. "It's a way of covering all your bases, just in case the quest for Zelda takes longer than you've planned for. I mean, you thought China would be the end of it, but here you are- in Cuba."

Clark shrugged. It was worth considering. He noticed that both glasses were empty and pointed to them.

"I thought one of those was for me," he commented.

"You were letting the ice melt. It would have ruined the effect," she shrugged. "I can order a couple more," she offered.

"No. I think you should let those settle," he laughed.

"Good idea," she agreed, scanning the growing crowd in the bar.

A band was starting to tune up on the small stage in a corner of the room, getting prepared for the Independence Holiday celebrations that would be starting that night. As they struck into a song, dancers filled the small space and more people entered the bar.

"Come on, I want to dance!" Lois shouted over music.

Clark shook his head vigorously. "Oh no! I don't dance. If you remembered seeing me, you'd know why. Actually, I'm really glad you don't remember that!"

Lois laughed and hopped off her stool. "Come on," she pleaded, swaying her hips to the music as she held a hand out in his direction.

When he crossed his arms defiantly, she rolled her eyes and sighed. Before she could move back to her stool, an arm wrapped around her waist and spun her around into the arms of her earlier antagonist, Rafael.

"Bonita! I was hoping Clark would bring you here. The _con pollo_ was good, no?" he asked with a smile.

Lois laughed and nodded. "Very good! Gracias."

Rafael smiled and nodded. "Clark never dances, but that shouldn't be your problem right? Will you let me show you how dancing is really done on an island?"

Lois glanced over her shoulder at Clark to see him nodding with a wide smile. He was obviously relieved to not have to dance, and knowing that Lois was capable of handling Rafael, he waved them on. "Later!" He smiled, happy to be saved from embarassment.

"I'm holding you to that promise," she muttered, glaring at him. Shaking her head, she turned back to face her partner and followed his lead through a series of quick paced steps.

**

* * *

**

Lois smiled and thanked her latest dance partner as the song ended, and politely turned down the hand offered by another dancer. Making her way back to the bar where Clark was seated, she waved a hand in front of her face, attempting to cool herself in the sweltering heat of the packed bar.

"You want to get some air?" she asked as she arrived at his side.

Lois sighed as they stepped into the night air. Outside, revelers lined the streets, laughing and dancing to the sounds that wafted from the bar. It was just as crowded out here as it had been inside, but at least it was cooler. Clark struggled to stay close to her as she made her way toward the street.

"You owe me a dance!" Lois smiled as the tempo of the music slowed.

"Out here?" he asked.

"Yep. There's people dancing over there," Lois said, nodding in the direction of other dancers outside of the club. "You promised."

"I didn't say…" he started.

"Clark."

"Okay, fine," he sighed, deciding to get it over with. Besides, he could do the slow dance thing pretty well. It was the fast stuff that made him lose all connection to the beat. If he stalled any longer, the music would speed back up. He reached for her hand and pulled her to him.

He must have caught her a bit off guard, because as she fell into him, he stepped backward and bumped into a passing group of people. As Lois righted herself, a woman stumbled into Clark, having been jostled off balance. He acknowledged her apologies with a smile as she and her friends moved away, and frowned at his shirt; the front of which was now covered with beer.

Lois held a hand over her mouth, desperately trying to control the laughter that was causing tears to come to her eyes.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to get a _cerveza_," she said, referring to the famous Cuban beer. "But I think you've had enough already."

"Funny, Lois. Funny."

Lois tilted her head back and released the laugh she had been trying to control. She thenshouted a Cuban battle cry in honor of the holiday and was met with a resounding chorus from their fellow pedestrians.

Clark rolled his eyes and started pulling her down the street.

"Hey," she protested, still laughing. "I really did want a _cerveza_! You can't come to Cuba and not try one!"

Clark shook his head. "There must be something else on your list…" he begged, gesturing at his shirt.

"Well… I guess a _café _would suffice."

Clark nodded, relieved. "I know just the place for some midnight coffee," he replied. "But I would like to change my shirt, if that's okay. We can stop by my place on the way."**

* * *

**

_tbc_


	6. Tryst

**Chapter 6 - Tryst **

_**

* * *

** _

_-- Havanna, Cuba - October 2006 --  
_

Clark unlocked the door and opened it, reaching for the light switch as he stepped inside.

"It's not much," he warned as Lois followed. "This is Alejandro's place- he works at one of the big resorts. I met him a little while after I got here and he let me stay with him. He gets a little extra money for the rent, and I get a place to sleep. He's working overnight this week because of the holiday."

Lois looked around the small apartment. As they entered the flat, there was a small kitchen to the left. To the right, a small living that area served as a room housed a full sized bed that took up most of the space. A short hallway led to another room.

Clark headed into the hallway. "My room is back here. I'm just going to change my shirt and I'll be right back."

"Uh, where's your bathroom?" Lois asked before he disappeared from sight.

"Oh, sorry. It's this door right here," he answered, opening a narrow door off to the side of the hall.

As she finished in the bathroom, Lois exited into the hallway and she ran straight into Clark's naked chest.

"Sorry," she said, as he reached to stabilizer her. She hadn't been paying attention when she opened the door.

"No, it's my fault. I was waiting to get a towel… I'm… sticky."

"Yeah," Lois nodded, awkwardly stepping out of his reach. She was suddenly feeling very warm. "I'm just going to go… wait. Okay?"

Clark's expression was puzzled as she quickly turned and headed away. It seemed that they were back to being players in a comedy of errors.

Sighing, he entered the bathroom and wet a towel in the sink. Right before he had left Smallville last year, he and Lois had reached a point in their relationship where the awkward tension stage had passed. They had become good friends… on the verge of becoming something more.

He wasn't sure where they stood now. And he hadn't realized how much he'd missed her until today.

* * *

Lois sat in the kitchen and nervously drummed her fingers on the table. She had put a lot of energy into keeping things light tonight, but she was suffering from lack of practice. Not to mention the fact that this was the first time they had truly been alone all day. 

It used to be so easy. When Clark was just a small town farm boy.

Then she'd found out that there was more to him than what met the eye. And she learned that she enjoyed being a part of that.

Bumping into him on the other side of the world after a long time apart should have put them back on square one. The past few hours had been about reconnecting: old friends catching up. That should have been it.

Lois sighed and walked across the converted living room to the window. As she pulled the curtains aside, she realized that the window was actually a narrow patio door. The terrace was small, the floor extending only about 2 feet from the building. Sliding it open, she stepped out and leaned against the wrought iron railing, inhaling the humid night air.

The day he'd boarded that plane to China, Lois had finally let herself fall, if only for a moment. But that was because Clark was leaving to embark on a destiny that was bigger than both of them. Seeing him again had made those feelings resurface from a place where they had been neatly tucked away.

The last thing she had expected to happen when she'd begged Perry to let her join the reporting team going to Havana was to bump into Clark Kent.

**

* * *

**  
Clark finished buttoning up the short-sleeved linen shirt as he exited the hall into the main room of the apartment. He looked up and frowned when he didn't see Lois sitting in the kitchen. A slight breeze caused the curtain to shift and his attention was drawn to the small terrace. 

Seeing her standing in the moonlight took him back to memories of some of the late night talks they'd shared in his loft. A small jolt of homesickness caused a lump to form in his throat and he let out a soft cough to clear it.

Lois glanced over her shoulder at the sound before turning back to the night sky.

"It's amazing to think that the stars stay the same no matter where you are when you're looking at them," she said.

"Yeah," Clark agreed, moving to stand behind her, so he could peer at the sky as well.

The hair on the back of her neck bristled as she felt him move closer.

"I mean, I know that these are probably a different set of stars from the ones in the sky in Kansas, but I was just thinking that the stars themselves don't move…"

Clack smiled into the night. "I know what you meant, Lois."

"Yeah."

As she turned to face him, Clark stepped backwards into the apartment. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, noting that she seemed suddenly uncomfortable with their nearness.

"Coffee. Right," she quipped, reaching tuck her hair behind her ear. "Let's go get some coffee." She stepped past him into the room and walked toward the front door.

Clark sighed as he slid the patio door shut, leaving the curtains open. He wanted to put her at ease, but didn't know what to say. He thought he had a good idea what was behind the tension that was building with the more time they spent together. The coffee, and the less intimate environment of the coffee shop, would help them relax.

He flicked off the kitchen light, and followed her to the door, reaching past her for the handle.

As he pulled the door open, his other hand moved to the small of her back. It had just been meant to usher her outside, but the moment he touched her, their eyes locked and all his intentions faded.

"Lois." Her eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in to kiss her.

"You're crying," Clark whispered as he pulled away.

Lois quickly reached up to swipe at her cheek. "No… I'm just really happy to see you." Her eyes searched his for a moment before she smiled.

"Me too." He reached down and pulled her into his arms, taking the opportunity to reclaim her lips.

Somehow the door closed and they were stumbling down the hall, eventually falling onto Clark's bed. The sounds of musical instruments playing outside on the street below the apartment jerked Lois from her passion-filled reverie. Her hands stilled from their explorations beneath his shirt and she pulled away from his mouth panting.

They really needed to slow down, she thought. If they got carried away…

"Clark, I think…"

"Don't think, Lois. Just this one time…"

Her mind went blank again, as Clark's recently abandoned lips found her neck. Within seconds, Clark's linen shirt drifted to the floor after being unceremoniously tossed from the bed.

**

* * *

**  
Kryptonite. 

That was the only thing he'd ever come in contact with that made him feel so vulnerable and exhausted. The difference was, he also felt powerful. Like he could move a mountain, just by blowing on it. How was it possible to feel both of those things at once?

Clark exhaled slowly, and delighted in the feel of the soft skin under his fingertips. He was waiting for the guilt to set in but it never did. Neither of them had been expecting things to go as far as they had, but neither had been able to stop.

Lois let out a low chuckle as she shifted her position. Feeling her cross her arms as she leaned on his chest, he opened his eyes to look up at her.

"What?" he asked warily, taking in her amused expression. Somehow, he didn't think that laughter was a good indicator of his performance.

"I didn't know you knew how to fly."

"Huh?" He wondered if that was some kind of joke. "I can't fly," he replied, frowning.

Lois smiled. He was even more adorable when he was perplexed. "No? Well, what are we doing up here?"

Clark narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out if she was serious. He turned his head slightly to glance over his shoulder. To his surprise, he was floating two feet above the bed. Shocked with the discovery, he turned abruptly in mid-air causing Lois to slide off his chest and onto the bed below.

She let out yelp as she bounced and rolled to the side just as Clark landed next to her.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked, sitting up so he could check.

Lois laughed and leaned over the side of the bed to grab Clark's shirt from the floor. Putting it on, she looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I'm fine. I wouldn't say the same thing for the bed, though."

Sighing, he flopped onto his back and looked at the ceiling. "Wow."

"I'd say so." Lois leaned over and gazed down at him. "I take it from your reaction that you haven't done that before?"

"I once woke up and felt like I was falling, but I always thought it was a dream. I flew as Kal-El, but never could get it to work when I wanted it to."

"Well, you seemed to be doing a pretty good job of it a few minutes ago. Come on, try it now," she encouraged, moving to sit cross-legged on the bed.

Clark closed his eyes and tried to focus. "Anything?"

"No."

After a few more tries he gave up, leaving the bed to grab a pair of shorts from his bag. He turned back to the bed and shook his head at Lois's smirk.

"What is that look for?"

Giggling as he crawled on top of her, she playfully tugged at the waistband of his shorts. "I just think you have a really cute butt."

* * *

"I just don't know what made it kick in right then," Clark commented. 

"If I can figure out what sparked it, I can learn how to control it. That's usually what we've done in the past."

They had been discussing the floating incident, comparing it to the other times when his powers had started to appear.

Lois yawned and covered her mouth with her hand, blinking at him. "I'm sorry, what'd you just say?"

Clark smiled as another yawn claimed her.

"Nothing. Go to sleep."

"I'm really sorry. It's not that you're boring or anything. I've got to be up in…" She picked up his watch from the floor and peered at it. "2 hours. I've got to meet the team at the hotel so I can make the interview. And I need to change. Shower…" her voice drifted off as her eyes closed.

"Lois," Clark whispered, smiling.

"Hmm?" came her grunted reply.

"Go to sleep."

"Hmm."

**

* * *

**  
Clark awoke, hoping that he hadn't been dreaming. His hand found only emptiness when he reached for the other side of the bed. Abruptly, he opened his eyes and rolled onto his side. 

"Hey," Lois said, drawing his attention to where she was standing in the bedroom's doorway. "Good morning."

He grinned widely as she walked to the bed and sat down next to him. She had dressed and gathered her belongings together so she could leave.

"That's my shirt," he said, taking hold of her hand.

"I know. I'm taking it as collateral so you'll have to come see me later to get it back."

"I can walk you to your hotel," he offered, moving to sit up.

"No, one of us should get to sleep in." She stopped him with a hand on his chest and leaned in to seal the deal with a kiss. "Plus, I need to rush, and you're naked."

"I'm not naked," he muttered, blushing.

"And adorable," Lois laughed, jumping up from the bed. "The interview is supposed to take place right before the parade starts, so how about you meet me in the Square… say noon?"

Seeing him nod, she winked and headed down the hall. When she stepped out of the front door, Clark jumped up and called her name.

"What?" she called back, using her foot to hold the door open since her hands were occupied with securing an earring on her right ear.

"It'll keep," he answered as he reached her, deciding he wanted it to have a more romantic setting when he told her what he had to say. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Lois arched an eyebrow at him, trying to judge if she should make him spill or not. She reached up and rubbed his short beard with a laugh. "Count on it."

Clark stood at the door until she reached the bottom of the steps, and then closed it. Closing his eyes, her followed her heartbeat for a few more minutes before he heard her mutter, "I think I might be falling in love with you, Clark Kent."

Startled, his eyes popped open. She probably hadn't meant for him to hear that. Smiling, he realized that his feet weren't touching the floor.

* * *

Clark made his way down the crowded streets of Union Square, the site where the Independence Day celebrations were supposed to culminate. The parade was scheduled to pass through this area around noon, and the presidential family would be there to greet the crowd. The streets were busier than normal, but that was to be expected, given the extra importance of the day. 

He noticed Lois's group of reporters on the far end of the square near an elevated stage. They were shaking hands with a man dressed in an olive colored uniform, surrounded by numerous soldier types. He didn't doubt that the man was Fidelito Castro, the son of the ailing Cuban president.

Had he not been preoccupied with his thoughts for Lois, he might have been more aware of the movements of the crowd around him. As it was, he was caught by surprise when the shots rang out. Chaos immediately ensued, as people began running in all directions, seeking cover. He was within 20 feet of Lois's entourage before soldiers blocked his path. Fidelito was being rushed into a nearby sedan and the reporters were being ushered in a different direction.

"Lois!" Clark yelled, causing her to stop and turn around.

The guard next to her grabbed her arm and tried to pull her toward her colleagues but she struggled against his grip.

Additional shots were heard, and Clark looked up to see that snipers had taken position on the roof of a nearby building. A woman to his left began screaming, and he saw that her dress was covered with blood. She was yelling something barely comprehensible about her daughter and pointing to the ground. With enhanced vision, Clark noticed that the wounded child was in danger of being trampled by the panicked retreat of the masses.

He turned his attention back to Lois, who was losing her struggle with the guard. When their eyes met, she nodded in the direction of the woman.

"You can help them, Clark," she shouted. "They need you. Go!"

With one last look, he turned and pushed through the crowd to get to the woman. He picked up the girl and explained that they needed to get to a hospital. Nodding, the mother grabbed his shirt and trailed behind him through the crowd.

_

* * *

tbc_


	7. Void

**Chapter 7 – Void**

* * *

_-- Smallville - March 2010 (Present Day) --_

Clark looked up from his hands as he finished the censored version of the Cuba story. "I found out later that the American reporters had immediately been deported when the civil war between the supporters of Raul and Fidelito went into full swing. By the time I had gotten the girl to the hospital, there were a number of other people that needed help. We, um, lost contact after that… Lois and I, that is."

"We remember you talking about being in Cuba when the war started, but we had no idea that Lois was there," Martha remarked.

Jonathan rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. It was all quite hard to believe. "Clark, why didn't you say anything about you and Lois?"

Clark shrugged and rose from the table. "I don't know why I didn't tell you guys. It was just so personal… magical. It was almost like a dream, and I guess I didn't want to diminish the memory of it."

Martha and Jonathan exchanged a glance. They weren't sure what to say.

"And I knew what you guys would say if I mentioned what had happened," Clark added, noticing the look that passed between them.

"Clark, you're an adult. We understand that, we just thought we taught you to be careful," Martha said, her brow creasing.

"It's not like it was some stranger. We really hadn't meant…we were careful… I don't really know what to say…" Clark's voice trailed off. This was not a conversation he'd ever planned to have with his folks.

"I'm going to go put this little guy to bed," Jonathan announced, getting up to release a drowsy Cole from the high chair.

Clark's eyes followed his father as he picked the little boy up and headed for the stairs. He had a son.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Clark faced his mother. "I'm… uh… sorry."

Sighing, he walked into the den, leaving Martha alone to clear the dishes. She didn't immediately follow behind him, realizing that he needed some time to come to terms with what he'd just learned, and the memories he'd just relived.

**

* * *

**

Clark studied the pictures that lined the mantle. He could see that his mother had taken up photography. There were a large number of framed black and white photos of Cole in various poses and settings. A large stack of prints sat on the coffee table next to an empty photo album, waiting to be organized.

From one of the framed pictures, his father smiled at the camera while holding the laughing little boy upside down. He could tell that his parents were happy. He was glad that they were enjoying being grandparents, but why did the cost of their happiness have to be Lois's safety?

"That's one of my favorites," Martha said softly, sitting on the couch.

Clark sighed and turned around to face her. "How can she go missing for nine months and the police have nothing to go on?"

"Perry has been keeping us posted, but it seems like they are trying to keep the investigation quiet."

"Quiet? What does that mean?" Clark asked, mildly alarmed.

"They haven't publicly released that Lois is missing," Martha replied sadly.

"What!" Clark moved to sit next to his mother. "Who all knows that she's gone?"

"Well, Cat, as we mentioned earlier, Perry, your father and I, the police… and you."

"That's it? What about her father? Her family? How can they really be looking for her if no one even knows that she's missing?"

"I don't know, honey."

Clark's shoulders slumped and he leaned forward to cradle his head in his hands. Martha reached out and stroked his hair.

"Why didn't you go find her again… after Cuba?"

Clark didn't know how to answer. Guilt was gnawing at his gut. When the war had begun, causing them to separate, he had succumbed to the belief that his destiny was out of his control. In the midst of a pity party, he had come to the conclusion that fate didn't want him to be happy, and it didn't want him to be with Lois Lane.

Those had been drastic thoughts, but by the time he had come to his senses, too much time had passed. As he had continued to chase the path of the sacred crystal, he'd decided that he needed to finish what he'd started. He'd convinced himself that it would be selfish to pull Lois into this journey, when she could be put in danger. And so, he'd decided he would come back to her when this whole thing was over. When he could focus only on her.

But he had been too late. He had misjudged fate. He and Lois were meant to be together, regardless of what else his destiny had in store for him. The little boy in those pictures was living proof of that.

"I'm going to Metropolis," he declared, sitting up. He defiantly faced his mother. "I know you don't agree, but I'm going anyway."

Martha sighed. "It's not that I don't agree. I think you should go… just not right away." She shook her head as he started to protest. "You need to make sure that you have a clear head before you go. You'll be no help to anyone if you haven't thought this through. Besides, you have to think about someone else's welfare now, sweetie. You're a father."

At those words, Clark's demeanor softened. "I know. I want to do what's best for my… Cole. I just think that the best thing would be to find his mother."

"Oh, honey," she said, pulling him into her arms.

Leaning against his mother's chest like he used to do as a little boy, Clark closed his eyes. "Mom, I'm scared. I need her."

**

* * *

**

Upstairs, Jonathan stood, looking down upon the sleeping toddler. Clark's old room had been converted to a nursery, complete with a crib, toy chest, and rocking chair. A twin bed was set up against the opposite wall, ready for Cole when he grew too large to sleep in the crib.

However, much as Jonathan had been surprised by Clark's admission of meeting Lois in Cuba, he was three times as relieved that the little boy in front of him could never be taken away. He didn't wipe the silent tear that escaped from the corner his eye. Visualizing another little boy with darker hair, he was too overcome with the realization that this was the second time he'd been able to come into this room and know that the boy inside would always be his.

* * *

_tbc_


	8. Purpose

**Chp 8 – Purpose**

**

* * *

**

_-- Metropolis – April 2010 --_

Clark had actually waited a couple of weeks before deciding to head to Metropolis. He had spent that time reconnecting with his family and trying to come up with a plan of attack.

Stepping off the elevator, Clark scanned the bullpen of the infamous Daily Planet. He silently watched as people bustled to and fro, answering phones and passing pages of print among colleagues. He knew that this had been Lois's domain and he tried to see if he could sense any connection to her. Somewhere deep down, he felt that they shared a vibe, and he was planning on holding on to that until he was able to prove that she was still alive. He would do that for Cole. He would do that for himself.

Behind him, the elevator dinged again, announcing that another load of people had arrived to the newsroom. Clark turned as someone bumped into him.

The young man shuffled the stack of papers he was holding, effectively rebalancing them so they wouldn't fall. "Hey, I'm sorry about that. I wasn't looking… I don't think I've seen you around here before. Is there somebody you're looking for?"

Clark nodded. "I'm here to see Perry White."

"Oh, well, you're in luck. I'm on my way to his office right now, so you can just follow me."

As they made their way down the ramp, Clark continued to take in his surroundings, half listening as his guide pointed things out on the way.

"Are you a reporter?" Clark asked.

"Wow. You think I'm a reporter? Cool. No, not yet. I'm a reporter's assistant. That's a couple steps lower than an assistant reporter, but you've got to do your time, you know? It's really just a fancy title for a copy boy but someone made a fuss over the name and they changed it."

Clark wondered if the person being described was Lois. He remembered her telling him about the newspaper's attempt to make her a copy girl when she first started.

"I'm planning on becoming a photo-journalist some day."

Clark extended a hand. "Well, best of luck, then. I'm Clark Kent. It's nice to meet you…"

"James Ol…"

"Jimmy!"

Clark jumped as the name was bellowed from an office on the far side of the room.

"Coming Chief!" Jimmy answered, shrugging at Clark while he finished the handshake. "Everybody calls me Jimmy. Come on. Chief doesn't like to have to yell twice."

Clark smirked and followed him to the office. When they arrived, Jimmy rapped his knuckles on the open door before stepping inside. Clark stood in the frame, waiting until his presence was acknowledged before fully entering. Perry White was leaning over his desk, his attention focused on a couple of large poster boards lying on it.

"Jimmy, how are you coming with that list I gave you?" he asked without looking up.

"The horn on your golf cart is fixed now," Jimmy replied, grimacing in Clark's direction. "And here are the ad contracts you asked for."

"Good, good. Now, I need you to run these boards down to Printing. And tell them I want it to look _exactly _like this. I swear, with all of these new fangled computers they got us using these days, those kids are getting out of touch with the craft."

Jimmy tucked the boards under his arm and waved for Clark to come in. "Chief, someone's here to see you."

Clark stepped into the office and thanked Jimmy as he sped past. "Mr. White, I'm Clark Kent… we met in Smallville a few years ago."

Perry crossed the office and grabbed his hand to shake it. "Oh, I know who you are, Clark. It's just been a long time. I guess you're all grown up now."

Clark nodded and adjusted his glasses. "I guess so. Um, I came to see what you could tell me about Lois Lane's disappearance."

"Why don't you have a seat," Perry suggested, closing the door and returning to his desk. "It really is a small world, isn't it? I knew Lois spent some time in Smallville, but I never connected that with you and your family. I found it even more surprising that your parents had no idea that they had a grandchild. Seems there was a communication lapse while their son was traveling the globe."

Clark shifted in his seat. "I had no idea either."

Perry grunted and was quiet for a while, focusing a hard stare on the young man in front of him. Finally he broke the silence and leaned forward. "I don't think that I can be of any help to you."

Hearing those words, Clark felt his composure erode. "Mr. White, I have spent the past two weeks searching every achievable news database in the country. There is no mention of Lois's disappearance in any of them. I can't figure out why no one has any information about this! I need answers, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get them."

Jumping up from the chair, Clark began to pace. "The Daily Planet must be run by some pretty sick bastards if they aren't willing to risk their precious reputation for the life of one of the paper's top reporters."

"Hold on right there, Son," Perry interrupted. "I think it would be fair to say that since you don't know the whole story, it would be wise to watch where you point those accusations. If my memory serves me correctly, you haven't been around long enough to have any claim here."

Perry leaned back into his chair, clasping his hands together and setting them in his lap. "I am aware that you and Lois share some history, but since you had no idea that you had a son until a little over a week ago, you just might be in danger of stepping out of line. Why don't you take your seat, and I'll try to get you caught up to speed."

Clark glared at the older man for a moment, caught between indignation from Perry's rebuttal, and guilt from knowing that there was some truth to it. Finally, he returned to the chair and sat down.

Perry nodded and began explaining. "You should know that the police just turned the case over to the FBI, so it is not that no one has been working on this. It's a matter of policy that The Planet does not publicly announce that high profile employees are missing, unless it is a last resort. We have learned that doing so could cause more harm than good."

"That doesn't make sense," Clark interjected. "She's been gone for nine months. How can more harm come from that?"

Perry rubbed his jaw. "Originally, the police were waiting to see if a ransom note would come. The other times when Lois was kidnapped…"

"Other times!"

"Yes," Perry sighed, realizing that Clark was unaware of quite a bit in regards to Lois Lane. "Lois has been… quite active in bringing down a number of high-profile criminals. In turn, she has often been a target for retribution. In the past, when she was kidnapped, a ransom note soon followed, and things were wrapped up rather quickly. She's a very capable woman. Most of the time, she gets herself out of these things unscathed. When we didn't hear anything, the police decided that whoever has her might not know who she is."

Clark stared at Perry with his mouth agape, trying to process this new information.

"We're keeping this quiet because for all we know, the lack of publicity is what's keeping her alive- if she still is." Perry rose from the chair and went to stand next to Clark, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I suggest you go home and take care of that little boy. Leave finding Lois to the professionals."

"No!" Clark shouted, knocking Perry's hand to the side as he jumped from his seat. "I won't sit by and do nothing. I can't…" Defeated, he sank back into the chair and dropped his chin to his chest.

Perry sighed and pulled the second visitor's chair in front of Clark and sat down. "Then I might be able to help you after all."

Startled, Clark met Perry's gaze.

"I just had to make sure that you were determined," Perry said smiling at the confused expression on Clark's face.

"Personally, I'm not a fan of the policy, but I do understand its purpose. I'm also not too keen on some of our 'boys in blue,' and now that the Feds are on the case, there's no telling what in tarnation they'll mess up. Lois means a great deal… to The Planet." Perry paused and cleared his throat to erase the traces of emotion that had entered his voice. "I hired my own investigator. You can be certain that I'll make sure that everything possible is being done to bring her home."

Listening to him, Clark realized that Perry was just as hurt as he was. Clark wondered if Perry had been a stand-in father figure for Lois when she and her dad had stopped speaking.

"I was hoping I could retrace her steps. Maybe something was overlooked," Clark said in a soft voice, almost pleadingly.

"I'll tell you what we'll do, Kent. I'll have Jimmy set you up on Lois's computer so you can access her files. We've had to be real careful about keeping her stuff protected. The only other person in the newsroom that knows she's not really on sabbatical is Catherine Grant. Maybe you'll find a clue that the police missed, who knows. Anything's possible." Perry sighed heavily and moved back to sit behind his desk.

Clark nodded, following Perry's movements with his gaze. "I need to talk to the police, so I can find out what they know."

"I don't know how much they'll be willing to tell you," Perry replied. "I'm not sure that being the father of her child is enough to get them to release information in a case like this."

Clark thought about that for a moment before gathering enough nerve to bring up the next part of his plan. "That's where you come in, Mr. White. I need to ask a favor."

"What is that?"

"I know that it's standard for information to only be shared with family members, and since her father doesn't know about this… or anyone in her family for that matter, I figured that I could take that role. I was hoping that you would help me become Lois's husband."

Perry blinked. "You want to run that by me again?"

"I want to forge a marriage certificate. Lois and I have a son; it's not so far fetched if you think about it. And that way, the police and the FBI will have to tell me what they know."

"There's no way to know if that will work," Perry said shaking his head. "Something like that could bring up more questions than answers."

The hair-brained scheme reminded him of some of the things Lois used to pull, and a tear sprung to his eye. He held up a hand as Clark began to speak.

"I'll make some calls and see what I can do. In the meantime, let's get you set up. Where are you staying while you're in town?"

Clark grimaced, preparing to ask yet another favor. "I was, um, hoping to stay at her apartment… so I could search for clues there too."

Perry grunted and turned in his chair to look out the window. He knew that he would do anything in his power to make sure Lois returned home. Helping Clark Kent do the same just might do the trick.

"Cat has her extra set of keys. She was the one who let the police in when they did their investigation. I'll talk to her about it. She doesn't know about the birth certificate, so we'll have some additional explaining to do on that end... Would you mind opening the door?"

Clark stood and did as he was asked.

"Jimmy!"

Clark flinched as Perry yelled for the young copy boy he'd met earlier, then smirked as the boy skidded into the office seconds later. He was relieved that he would finally be able to do something to try to get Lois back.

* * *

_tbc_


	9. Scrutiny

**Ch 9 - Scrutiny**

* * *

_-- Metropolis - April 2010 (Later that afternoon ) --_

Jimmy Olsen stood in the newsroom's small kitchenette and stared into the mug of coffee he had just poured. He had no idea why people drank the stuff. It was like tar warmed over. Bracing himself, he took a sip and shuddered. He reached for the sugar container and turned it upside down over his mug. If he was going to be a reporter, he was going to need to learn to stomach this stuff.

"A little coffee usually makes the sugar taste better," a female voice commented from behind.

Jimmy quickly replaced the sugar and began stirring his drink. "Uh, hi Cat."

Laughing, she flipped her hair and turned to scan the newsroom. "I just got back from the Mayor's press conference. He swears that he and his assistant were discussing business at that midnight meeting on the pier. Likely tale! Anything interesting happen here while I was gone?"

Frowning after another sip of the now-too-sweet sludge, Jimmy dumped the contents of the mug into the sink and faced Cat. "Actually, something did happen…"

Cat cut him off as she noticed someone sitting at Lois's desk. "Who is that?"

"That's what I was about to tell you. Did you know that Lois was married? Wild, huh? I can't believe she never said anything about that! I guess Perry knew, though, because he told me to give him all her passwords and stuff. His name is Clark…"

"Kent," Cat finished for him. Narrowing her eyes, she stalked away from Jimmy, and headed for the stairs that led to the pit.

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" Jimmy asked her retreating back. He returned to the coffee pot, trying to gather enough courage to try the sludge again. "I am the last to know _everything_ around here."

**

* * *

**

"Lois never mentioned being married."

Clark glanced up as the voice pulled his thoughts from the words on the monitor. He immediately recognized the person in front of him from the description his parents had given him.

"Um, Cat, I mean, Ms. Grant. Hello," he stammered, rising from the chair. He was caught off guard with her sudden appearance and accusatory tone. He'd assumed that Perry would have talked to her before he would.

"I was hoping we would get a chance to talk," he continued. "My name is…"

"I know who you are. And I know who you aren't," she retorted, arching a finely shaped brow in challenge.

As she crossed her arms suspiciously, Clark noticed that reporters within earshot were starting to listen in.

"If we could just…" he began, gesturing to an empty conference room.

"I'd like to know exactly what you're up to," Cat stated pointedly.

"Cat, I'd like to see you in my office, pronto!" Perry shouted from his doorway. "And bring _him_ with you."

Clark exhaled in relief and trailed Cat across the newsroom. Once inside, he reached to close the door behind him.

"Lois is not married!" Cat declared. "And Clark Kent has been out of the country for the last 5 years."

Clark turned to her in surprise.

"Perry, this guy is a fake. I don't know what kind of game he's trying to pull, but I'm not falling for it. I can't believe that you did- he's not even wearing a ring!"

Perry cleared his throat to put a halt to her tirade. "Cat, I think you ought to sit down. This young man really is Clark Kent. As for his relationship with Lois- that's something we need to talk about."

**

* * *

**

"So, there you have it," Perry concluded, finishing the explanation to Cat.

Clark turned to her with a quizzical expression on his face. "I just have one question for you. How did you know about me being out of the country… did Lois say something?"

"No." Cat shook her head. "After she went missing and I was preparing to take Cole to Smallville, I did a little research on your family. I trusted that Lois knew what she was doing and everything, but I needed to be sure Cole would be okay. The only thing I could find related to you was a bunch of articles from around the world. I guess I never put it together that you and Lois were…I mean, she never even talked about Cole's father… and I just figured that you were younger…"

Clark was a bit disappointed with her answer. "I just want to thank you… for getting Cole to my parents. I'm glad Lois has a friend like you, Ms. Grant."

"Cat. Call me Cat. How is he? Cole?"

Clark met her eyes and smiled. "He's doing really well."

Perry let out a gruff grunt. "Sorry to interrupt but we need to get our plan in order. Cat, I need you take Kent to Lois's apartment after work, since you have the keys. He'll be staying there while he's in town. Will you be able to do that?"

After she nodded, he turned to face Clark. "My contacts have come through, and I will be ready to pronounce you husband to Lois Lane by the end of the day. Until then, you need to get yourself a ring. We're going to have a hard enough time as it is making this thing believable. The sharks are already circling in search of some dirt," he said, gesturing to the newsroom on the other side of the door.

"I'll take care of it," Cat announced. "I _am_ the gossip syndicate, remember. I'll come up with something they can chew on, but you," she said as she pointed to Clark, "are going to need to be quicker on your feet. The feds are going to run you over the rails when they get word that Lois Lane's absentee husband has shown up in town out of the blue."

**

* * *

**

* * *

_-- Metropolis - April 2010 (Later that evening) --_

Clark sat in the passenger seat of Cat's car and fingered the silver band that now graced his ring finger. They were on their way to Lois's apartment after a brief meeting at the Police Station.

"He was a little hostile, don't you think?" Clark asked, thinking about the detective they'd met with.

Cat smirked. "Yeah, Henderson and Lois have had something of a love-hate relationship over the years. I think he's just really worried about her."

Cat didn't notice the worried look Clark shot at her. He was curious about the balance of love and hate Lois and Henderson might have had.

"Here we are," she announced, pulling the car into an empty spot in front of an apartment building.

Cat seemed to be preoccupied by other thoughts as she led him inside, and they rode the elevator in silence.

When she unlocked the apartment door, she stepped inside and moved to let him enter behind her. In the dim light he could see that sheets covered all of the furniture.

"After the police came and searched her place, I covered everything. So the dust… when she came back." Cat took a deep breath. "Perry has The Planet covering the rent, but they had the utilities turned off. You'll need to call and get everything turned on when you get a chance. There should be some candles or something in the bathroom. Do you think you'll be okay for the night?"

Clark nodded and noticed that she hadn't come any further into the room.

"Okay, well, um. I think I'm going to go, so… You have my number. If you need anything, give me a call." Smiling, Cat tossed the set of keys to him and quickly stepped into the hallway.

"Thanks," he called as she pulled the door shut behind her. He understood her anxiety. It must have been hard on her to be the only one knowing her best friend was missing.

Clark pocketed the keys and started removing the sheets. When the coffee table was uncovered, he noticed a framed picture lying on the surface. Picking it up, he smiled at the image of Lois holding Cole when he was a baby. With a sigh, he flopped onto the couch and pulled out his cell phone.

Clark smiled at the sound of the voice on the other end when the line was picked up. "Hi, Mom."

"Clark! Hi, honey," Martha returned happily. "Hold on one second."

Clark listened as his mother called for his father to pick up the other extension.

"Hey, Son, how'd it go today?" his father asked.

Clark sighed. "Well, I'm married."

"What?" his mother gasped. "Married?"

Clark smiled to himself. He hadn't told them about that part of his plan. "Yeah. I needed to have a legal tie to Lois in order to get information from the police."

Clark could almost picture the look on his father's face.

"Somehow I don't think that's going to make it any easier for you, Clark." Jonathan replied. "How on earth did you manage a marriage without a bride?"

"Perry worked his magic. It was surprisingly easy."

"Have you talked to the police? Did it work?" Martha asked.

"I just got done talking to them… rather, I just got done being interrogated by them. I talked with a detective named Henderson. He didn't seem to like me very much, and I could tell he didn't want to give me anything. He didn't have much of a choice when his computer check verified my marital status."

Clark rose from the couch, deciding to explore the apartment while he was on the phone with his parents. He paused in front of the bookshelf, noting that one panel seemed oddly placed. He realized that there was a cabinet behind it. Resolving to check it out later, he turned and walked into the kitchen.

"What did you learn? Did he say why they are keeping a lid on this?" Jonathan inquired.

"It turns out that The Daily Planet has a policy about not releasing information when high-profile employees are missing," Clark explained. "Perry said that there was always a ransom note the other times Lois was kidnapped."

"Kidnapped! Other times!" Martha exclaimed.

"That was my reaction, too, Mom. The police seem to think that whoever might be holding her doesn't know who she really is. They think that if they release her name and picture, she could become part of a bidding war among the criminal element. It seems that she has made a few powerful enemies with her exposes."

On the other side of the kitchen, a short hallway led to a bathroom and two bedrooms. He walked to the first room and opened the door. Clark took in the deep blue walls of the room and the small crib next to the window. This was Cole's room. The sight of the stuffed animals stacked in the corner tugged at his heart.

"Lois always did have a nose for trouble," Jonathan commented absently.

"Exactly!" Clark declared emotionally. "You would think that having a kid would make a person slow down. I can't believe she got herself into this."

"Clark you don't know that," Martha soothed. She knew that feeling helpless and anxious made her son turn accusatory. She neatly refocused the conversation. "What did you learn from the police?"

Sighing, Clark composed himself and took a final look at the room before exiting and pulling the door closed.

"They found her car abandoned at a park-and-ride station. From what they could tell, there was no foul play, and they are going to release it to me tomorrow. When they checked the Metro surveillance tapes, they got her exiting at the Harbor, but have no idea where she went from there. The FBI has just taken over the case," Clark concluded, entering the second room.

In Smallville, Jonathan frowned, trying to piece together what his son was saying. "Are you going to meet with them soon?"

Clark chuckled. "Tomorrow. They requested a meeting as soon as Detective Henderson informed them about Lois having a husband."

"You should be careful," Jonathan said. "They will probably start looking at you as a suspect."

"I think they already are," Clark replied. "But I think that the story Cat came up with will work."

Martha glanced at her husband. "What story is that?"

"Cat told everyone that Lois and I eloped four years ago. According to the story, we had a disagreement about where to live as I was still 'finding myself' while backpacking across Europe. When Lois decided to go on sabbatical, The Planet hunted me down to fill in for her during her absence. Everyone thinks that she wanted some time to bond with her son."

Inside Lois's bedroom, Clark traced a finger across the picture of Cole that sat on the nightstand. Picking up a pillow from the bed, he was devastated that no remnant of her scent was distinguishable. It had been too long since she last lay there.

Jonathan sniffed. "That kind of paints you in a poor light, doesn't it?"

Clark sighed. "Cat said that no one would believe that a nice guy would leave his wife and child to fend for themselves while he toured the world. Hey, if it gets me to Lois, I'll be whomever she wants me to be."

"Is that the same story you're telling the authorities?" Martha asked.

"Pretty much," Clark answered. "The difference in the story I'm telling them is that I haven't been in contact with Lois in a while. The part about the sabbatical is for everyone else. Supposedly, my last adventure put me incommunicado for a long time, explaining why I just found out about her disappearance… and why I am just now showing up. Kind of ironic that it is partly true."

"Oh, sweetie," Martha sighed. She hated that there was nothing they could do to help Clark. "You could come home tonight. Get a good night's rest before your meeting tomorrow…"

Clark shook his head, not thinking about the fact that his parents couldn't see him. "No, Cat let me into Lois's apartment, and I'm just going to… take a look around. I'll be fine. But thank you. For everything."

"We just wish that we could do more," his father offered.

"I know. Me too," Clark sighed, sinking onto the bed. "Me too."

* * *

_tbc_


	10. Visitor

**Chapter 10 - Visitor**

**

* * *

** **

* * *

**

_-- Metropolis – July 2010 --_

"Hey, CK," Jimmy said, plopping down in the visitor's chair next to the desk just as Clark returned from lunch. "You will never guess who I ran into today!"

Clark reached for the keyboard to log in, and glanced at his young friend, smiling at his excitement.

"Well, aren't you going to guess?" Jimmy asked.

"Sorry, let's see…" Clark tapped his chin, pretending to be in deep thought. "I have no idea."

Jimmy groaned in exasperation. "Oh, never mind. I'll just tell you. Vicki Vale." Jimmy sat, nodding his head, waiting for Clark's excitement to match his own.

Clark shrugged indifferently and turned back to his computer. "Who is that?"

Jimmy's jaw fell open and he jumped up from the chair. "Dude, I know you're married and all, but that doesn't mean you can't look. Vicki Vale…" he said as he commandeered Clark's keyboard and entered a few keystrokes. "…Is only the best looking journalist I have ever seen, except for Lois."

Jimmy stopped short, realizing what he just said. "I mean, not that I was looking at Lois or anything. Because she's taken… by you. Anyway," he said, avoiding Clark's look as he turned back to the computer. "This is her."

Clark swallowed heavily as he saw the woman in the picture. Jimmy misinterpreted his reaction.

"I know, right?" Jimmy asked, grinning.

"Where did you get this picture?"

Jimmy's grin faltered. "Uh, I was the one who had to make her guest pass. I just remotely accessed my folder on the network to show it to you. It's not like I'm keeping it on my computer to look at later..."

The phone on the desk began ringing, and Jimmy's face brightened. Seeing the possibility to escape the awkward situation, he pointed to it.

"I should give you some privacy," he said, backing away from the desk.

Clark glanced at the image on the computer monitor as he reached for the phone. The hair was longer and the face was leaner, but it was definitely Chloe Sullivan.

"Jimmy," Clark called, causing the young man to turn around. "Where did she go?"

Jimmy smiled and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "She's in with Perry."

Clark pulled the phone to his ear and used the mouse to close the photo. "Clark Kent."

"Do you think you could step into my office, please," Perry requested.

"Yes sir. I'll be right there." Clark rose from his seat quickly. It was out of character for Perry to not yell his demands across the newsroom. He wondered if it was a bad sign.

**

* * *

**

"Clark? What are you doing here?" Chloe demanded, jumping up to hug him.

"Uh, Vicki?" Clark asked smiling.

Chloe laughed and shook her head. "Long story."

Perry cleared his throat. "Miss Sullivan is here to see Lois." He sent Clark a pointed look. "I figured that this was a family affair."

Clark released a slow breath and nodded. This was going to be difficult.

**

* * *

**

Clark closed the door to the conference room.

"Family affair?" Chloe asked. "I know he was a little strange when we last saw him in Smallville, but I figured he'd straightened out if he was the EIC at The Planet. He does know that I'm Lois's cousin, not yours, right?"

Clark responded with a weak laugh.

Chloe was unfazed and continued talking. "Man, _you_ were the last person I expected to see. When did you get back?"

"A couple of months ago," Clark replied. Unsure of how to broach the topic of Lois's disappearance, he decided to delay it. "What's this about Vicki Vale?"

"It's funny how your life doesn't go quite the way you expect it to," Chloe began.

No kidding, Clark thought.

"Vicki Vale is a top notch photo-journalist on her way to a major paper in Gotham City. She's beautiful, popular, professional… and an alternate identity."

Clark cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Alternate identity? Haven't you been in Gotham all this time?"

"No. I haven't been to Gotham in four years." Chloe scrunched her nose at Clark's perplexed expression. "I went to Gotham U for a year, and everything was going just the way I planned. Lois and I were challenging each other to be the first to a Pulitzer, and I'd finally gotten the courage to contact my mother. Then something big happened."

Clark's eyebrows rose, silently prodding her to continue.

"I got recruited for an elite force of agents." She chewed on her lower lip and looked like she was going to explode with excitement. "This is not public domain, if you know what I mean. It's a new division of the CIA, and I had to go through a four-year training program that made me cut all communication with anyone outside. I'm on my way to start a case in Gotham, thus… I'm Vicki Vale. Which is great, because I have journalism in my background, so this cover is going to be a breeze."

Clark was momentarily speechless. If Chloe had been gone for the last four years, there was a lot she didn't know.

Chloe frowned at Clark's lack of response. "I know it's a lot to take in," she laughed. "We're not allowed to tell everyone what we do, of course, but you always seemed to be one who could keep a secret. So, don't be worried, okay?"

"Wait, Perry knows your real name," Clark commented, indicating the badge she wore that read Vicki Vale.

"It would have been kind of odd not to tell him, since I came to see my cousin. Not to mention the whole Smallville connection. It's okay, though. We also needed him to pose as a reference for Vicki Vale, so he had already gotten a heads up from my supervisor."

"Lois knew about all this?"

"Yeah, I told her everything when I got in. I talked to her right before I left for RE-COL four years ago… that's the name of the training program. This is my first case, and I'm bordering on Butterfly Effect, so I decided to take a side trip to get a little pep-fest, Lo style. She always knows what to say." Chloe glanced out the glass windows that faced the newsroom. "So, where is she, anyway?"

Clark pulled on his tie, which was suddenly starting to feel tight around his neck. "Chloe, there's something I need to tell you."

With a sigh, he told Chloe everything he knew about Lois's disappearance… which wasn't much.

**

* * *

**

"How long has it been?" Chloe asked. She knew he'd said it, but her thoughts were so frazzled that she needed him to repeat the details.

"A year as of last week," Clark answered glumly.

"Oh, Lois." Chloe dropped her head into her hands. "I bet The General is on a rampage. Losing Lois or Lucy has always been his worst fear. He would do anything for them."

After hearing about how the man had treated Lois after finding out about her pregnancy, Clark wasn't so sure that he could agree. "He doesn't know."

Chloe's head shot up. "He doesn't know? How is that possible?"

"They weren't speaking. They had a pretty big disagreement before this happened."

"Humph," Chloe grunted wryly. "That sounds about right. Lois is hardest on the people she loves."

Clark looked away. "I haven't been able to get in contact with him. They keep telling me he's on special projects, or something."

"Even though it's information about his daughter?" Chloe asked, frowning.

"I couldn't really give details considering… I guess saying that it was about Lois was not enough to get a call back."

"Maybe I'll have more luck," Chloe offered. She was beginning to wonder how Clark had gotten involved in all of this.

"I'm supposed to be in Gotham tomorrow," she muttered.

She felt torn. Just when everything was starting to fall in place for her life, the floor fell out. Granted, they hadn't talked in four years, but Lois was more than just a cousin, and she had been excited to share her news with her. Now she was missing.

The Gotham City assignment had been in the works for months. The groundwork for Vicki Vale's appearance on the scene was in place, and things had already been set in motion. If she were to walk away now, she could kiss her career goodbye.

But she was willing to do that and more for Lois.

Despite the time and distance that had separated them over the years, Clark knew Chloe well enough to know what she was thinking.

"Lois wouldn't want you to put your life on hold."

Chloe blinked and looked at him. "No, Clark…"

"Chloe. You have to admit that there's not much more you can do than what is already being done. Besides, I think you may be of more help if you stay in your program. You'd be on the inside."

Chloe was able to see around her grief well enough to understand what Clark was hinting at. "What do you think we should do?"

"I'm not sure, yet." Clark glanced at his watch. "You up for a drive? I have a party I need to get to. We can talk more about it on the way."

There were a few more details he had yet to disclose.

* * *

_

* * *

_

_-- Smallville – July 2010 --_

"You and Lois?" Chloe asked, her eyes widened in confusion. "We are talking about Lois Lane, right?"

Chloe pulled the car into the drive of the Kent farm and shut off the ignition. Clark had insisted that they take her car, saying that his father would be willing to drive him back to Metropolis if Chloe needed to leave before he did.

"Wow. You guys are really good at the smoke screen," Chloe quipped, trying to cover the sudden tightness around her heart. "I mean, I had my suspicions at first… but the bickering. I just didn't see that coming."

Sure, she had moved on. But old crushes die, hard. There had always been a what-if in the back of her mind. But it was way past time for that to be let go.

Chloe wondered if it was possible to get information overload. If so, her brain was in danger of overheating. Lois was missing. Lois and Clark… or vice versa, had gotten closer than she'd ever thought. When had that happened?

"When?"

"It started a little bit before I left… and a little bit more after that," Clark replied.

"After _that_?"

Clark shifted in his seat. He had seemed uncomfortable during the entire trip. She nervously wondered if there was more he wasn't telling her.

Clark grabbed the brightly wrapped gift from the back seat and opened the door. "Come on. There's someone I want you to meet."

Chloe followed him to the door, which he opened after shooting her a bright grin.

"Oh, good you made it just in time for hot dogs and chips!" Martha called as she saw Clark enter the front door. She gasped when she saw who stepped in behind him. "Chloe?"

"Hi, Mrs. Kent," Chloe greeted as she was enveloped in a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't bring a gift. Whose birthday is it?" she asked, glancing at the balloons that were strung throughout the room.

Martha turned to Clark with raised eyebrows. He shrugged sheepishly.

"We hadn't gotten to that part yet," he told her.

Chloe shook her head as she watched the exchange. The Kent family was still the best non-verbal communicators.

"The party's in the kitchen," Martha said. She reached for Chloe's hand as she led the way. "It's really good to see you, sweetie."

**

* * *

**

After the cake and ice cream had been devoured, everyone sat in the den marveling over the things that had happened over the past few years. Chloe's attention was continuously drawn to the child lying in Clark's lap.

She had been amazed to watch them interact all night. While the little boy had little interest in Chloe, he had been overjoyed at Clark's presence. When they had come to sit down to talk, Cole had inserted himself in between Clark's knees, determined to remain the center of attention. It was his night, after all.

After the settling of the food had evolved into a tummy ache, Clark had laid Cole across his lap and started rubbing his belly in slow circles. Cole had drifted to sleep as they sat talking.

"I'm going to take him up," Clark announced softly. He gathered the boy in his arms and rose from the couch. Cole whined a bit at being moved, and Clark shushed him and pressed a kiss to his son's temple. "Shhh. I got ya."

Chloe watched in silence as Clark left the room.

"Chloe, are you okay?"

Chloe blinked and turned to Martha. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Clark really has this daddy thing down, doesn't he?"

Jonathan smiled with pride. "They're quite a pair."

Chloe nodded curtly. "You know what? I've gotta go. Can you tell Clark that I'll call him first thing tomorrow? Tell him… I'll see what information I can find on Lois." She gathered her things and walked to the door.

Martha followed behind her and touched her shoulder as she was exiting. "Chloe."

Chloe turned to face her with a twinge of hurt in her eyes.

"It's just a lot to take in for one day, you know?" Chloe felt the need to clarify. She thought about Cole celebrating his third birthday. "He's beautiful. But now I'm even more worried about Lois. There is no way she would stay away from him on purpose. She knows what it's like to not have a mother." She sighed. "I've got to do something. I don't know exactly what…"

Martha reached to stroke the side of Chloe's face affectionately. For a woman who hadn't been able to have children, she had been blessed with more than she'd ever expected through Clark and his friends. She couldn't help but have a maternal inclination toward the young woman she had watched grow up.

"Be careful out there, okay?" Martha requested. She wasn't just talking about the drive to Gotham City.

* * *

_tbc_


	11. Seek

**Chapter 11 - Seek**

**

* * *

****

* * *

**_-- Metropolis – August 2010 (2 Months Later) --_

Clark absently tapped along with the music from the radio as he drove back to Metropolis after spending another weekend at the farm. It scared him to think about how fast the past few months had flown by. Even scarier was the fact that he hadn't made any progress in finding Lois.

The Feds had not been making it any easier for him. They, along with the police, had been very tight-lipped and resistant to his inquiries about the case, claiming that his interference was keeping them from doing their jobs.

Clark was frustrated.

Clark had essentially been hired as a reporter for the Planet as he conducted his search. Just before he'd left for the weekend, he'd handed Perry his latest article. Perry had given him The Look.

Clark didn't want to see the look. For five months he had been combing through every article Lois had written- profiling every villain with a possible motive for revenge. He had spent hours each night walking the streets of the Industrial District, the place that the Metro's surveillance cameras had shown her last. Chloe hadn't been able to turn up anything on her end, yet. She was pulling double duty, working with him and on her assignment in Gotham.

He wasn't ready to concede to what The Look meant.

And that weekend, at the farm, when they didn't think he was looking, his parents had exchanged The Look.

Clark knew that the Feds were ready to close the case. They had promised to meet with him before they took the story of Lois's disappearance public so he could prepare family members for the news.

That morning, the agent heading the case, Agent Grayson, had called to schedule a meeting in two days.

In going through all of Lois's files at the Planet and at her apartment, Clark hadn't been able to come up with any explanation of why Lois had boarded a Metro train that fateful night. Last seen wearing sweats and tennis shoes, she could have been out for a jog.

Clark sighed as he remembered what he _did_ find. He had noticed the odd compartment in her bookcase during his first exploration of the apartment. The covering of the shelf could have been decorative; he'd seen that type of thing before. Curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he'd x-rayed the paneling to see if anything was behind it.

When opened, the small space revealed two sparkling awards resting on a blue velvet-covered surface. When the electricity had been turned back on, Clark had been able to see the effect that the recessed lighting had on the two Kerth Awards for Investigative Journalism. The reflections of light poured through the crystal awards and caused a rainbow of colors to wash the surrounding walls.

He couldn't understand why Lois would keep something this beautiful hidden.

When he'd taken one of them out to take a closer look, Clark had noticed a tiny gap between the rear panel and the side panel of the compartment. To anyone with less than enhanced vision, the gap was unnoticeable. When he scanned it, he saw only one set of prints and no evidence of chemicals or powders. It didn't look like the police had realized there was an additional compartment behind the awards.

It was a good thing they hadn't.

In the area of the second hidden compartment, Lois had hidden a file. It held every article he had written during his joust around the world. It also held some curious tabloid-esque articles about the feats of mysterious guardian angels in some of those areas. He had never been able to fool Lois Lane for long.

Smiling at the notes she had written in the margins of his stories, Clark imagined that he could hear her voice. Somehow it comforted him to know that she had been keeping tabs on him- even when they were worlds apart.

**

* * *

**

Clark steeled his nerves as he entered the newsroom.

Acknowledging the greetings from colleagues as he passed, he made it to his… Lois's… desk and sat down. After five months, the Planet's other reporters had granted him a grudging acceptance. He knew that a lot of it had to do with the way he was treated by Perry and Cat, although many members of the pit crew were still perplexed over how the dynamics of his marriage left him estranged from his wife.

If the Feds had their way, everyone would know the truth by the end of the week.

"Kent, can I see you in my office?" Perry called, drawing Clark's focus away from the blank computer screen.

Sighing, Clark entered Perry's office and pulled the door shut. He was in no mood to be faced with The Look. "Listen, Chief, I know that the FBI have probably talked to the Suits upstairs, and they're ready to go public, but…"

"All that is true, but that's not why I wanted to talk to you," Perry interrupted. "Remember that PI I told you about? Well, he found something."

Clark looked up, startled. "He what?"

Perry nodded and handed Clark a small box. Inside he found a silver watch.

"I gave Lois that watch when she got her first Kerth Award," Perry said.

"Are you sure?"

Perry nodded again. "Turn it over. I had it engraved."

Clark ran his thumb across the face of the watch and stared at it for a moment before slowly turning it over. On the back, finely engraved script read: _LL, Here's to many more. Chief._

Perry cleared his throat as the younger man met his gaze, reading in his expression a mixture of hope, disbelief, and fear.

"Stevens was able to trace it back to New York. Someone bought it at a street fair."

Clark's heart began to beat rapidly. "New York?"

"The person who sold it said that it came in a shipment of wares from Brazzaville," Perry continued.

"In Africa?" Clark asked, bewildered.

"Yep. The Congo." Perry picked an envelope off of his desk and handed it to him. "He couldn't find much more than that. Everything he came up with is in here."

As Clark reached to pull out the papers inside the envelope, Perry walked to the office door. "I'll just give you a few minutes to go through that stuff." With a final nod, he stepped into the newsroom. "What is everyone standing around for? This isn't a Betty Crocker Bake-off! It's a world-class newspaper. Get out there, and get me some news!"

**

* * *

**

Twenty minutes later, Perry returned to the office where Clark was reading through the papers for the tenth time. He was clutching the watch in his hand as if it were a lifeline. For all he knew, it was.

Perry rounded his desk and sat down.

"Do the police or the FBI know about this?" Clark asked.

"I highly doubt it," Perry replied. "But we can take it to them if you want."

"No!" Clark jumped to his feet. "I mean, not yet. We'll do that when I get back."

Perry tilted his head to the side. "Get back? From where?"

"Africa."

By the time Perry was able to say anything, Clark's hand was on the doorknob. "Hold it right there, Son."

"Chief, I've got to follow this up!"

"All right, all right. But don't you think you need a ticket?" Perry cocked an eyebrow.

Clark's hand dropped from the door. "A ticket?"

"A plane ticket? Or were you planning on _walking_ across the ocean?" Perry frowned at the young man and shook his head. "I had a hunch you would be ready to take off as soon as you got this information, so I took the liberty of putting your cover story together. Why don't you take a seat so I can explain your assignment."

"My assignment?"

Perry chuckled and waved an airline ticket in front of him. "You don't think the Suits would foot the bill for a transnational flight unless they thought they were getting a story out of it, do you?"

Clark slowly returned to the chair he'd been sitting in.

Seeing that he had Clark's attention, Perry dropped the ticket onto his desk and laced his fingers together. "Okay, here's the deal. The AP has reported that Congolese officials uncovered a secession plot to have the Katanga Province declared an independent nation. Since our usual foreign correspondent is unavailable, your background makes you the best substitute. The Feds won't be able to drop the case until they can talk to you. I'll take care of all that."

Perry smiled and reached for another file on his desk. "These are the folks you'll be talking to…"

* * *

_**

* * *

**_

_-- Brazzaville, Republic of Congo – August 2010 --_

Clark ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. He had spent the last two weeks canvassing the country to no avail.

"Uncle, 200 francs please. So I can get something to eat," a child of around 12 begged in French.

The poverty that surrounded him saddened him a great deal. The civil wars that had rocked this country and the ones surrounding had made orphaned children a large part of the population. The children that did have parents who were alive were often forced to leave families who could not afford to feed them.

Clark discretely handed the boy 3 times the amount he asked for. He wished that he could do more to help all of the children he encountered, but he knew that if they targeted him as someone they could get money from, he would never be left alone.

It had amazed him to find out that over 70 of the country's entire population lived in the capital city. That left a great deal of uninhabited brush area where a person could disappear. In fact, those rural areas were home to numerous rebel groups whose murderous rampages had sent the peaceful villagers fleeing toward the capital city; orphaned children and weeping mothers… running for their lives.

If he had been able to fly, he might have been able to do his searching faster, or even branch out into the surrounding countries. He was able to float… or hover… but he still hadn't figured out how to add motion and direction. It was frustrating.

Especially now, when it could be of so much help.

He had finished his story for The Daily Planet, and he was scheduled to return to the States that evening. Having shown Lois's picture to everyone he came across in the cities and in the brush, Clark was at a loss. He had nothing to go on.

Sighing, he darted behind a small building, putting himself out of the sight of other people, as he got ready to kick his sprint into high gear. There was only one place he had yet to look.

**

* * *

**

Clark silently crept up to the young man in the tattered fatigues. He was holding a gun and staring off into the brush in the opposite direction of where Clark was coming from. Clark knew from previous interactions with rebel groups that this man was serving as a lookout.

"Excuse me," Clark called out, getting the man's attention. He walked toward him with his arms raised, palms forward.

The young man frowned and pointed his gun at Clark. "You're a little far from the city, aren't you?" he asked.

The rebel soldier was young, around twenty or so, and had a scar that stemmed from his hairline to his chin on the right side of his face. He eyed Clark with suspicion.

Clark nervously cleared his throat. He wasn't afraid of the soldier or his gun, but he didn't want this guy's buddies to become aware of his presence. He would have liked nothing more than to take out this group of raiders. He had the power to do it, but it wouldn't solve anything. Maybe, one day, he would figure out a way to help.

"I'm a reporter from the United States," Clark said. Rebel armies were fond of foreign reporters, because they drew attention to their actions. Denied access to the press in their own country, the power of public media aided in their misguided attempts to become martyrs.

The soldier indicated that Clark come closer, keeping his gun pointed at his chest. "What do you want?"

Clark had noticed an odd clearing deep in the brush on one of his earlier passes through the area. A crude airplane hanger had been built at one end of it, and Clark had seen the makings of a small camp in the distance. Spying on the camp from afar, he had noticed the rebel soldiers milling about. Wanting to approach them with Lois's photo, he had decided it would be best to wait until he could talk to one of them alone.

"I just want to ask a few questions."

"You want the leader?"

"No," Clark replied, his hands still in the air. "I want to talk to you."

Clark convinced the young man that he wanted to know his story. Intrigued by the potential to gain his own glory in a group that gave him very little power, the soldier began to open up. Clark found himself getting more interested as he listened, and prodded him with more questions. It hadn't been his original plan, but he just might do a story on this one day.

When they were done, Clark requested permission to pull a photo out of his pocket.

"Have you seen her?" he asked, showing the soldier Lois's image.

Squinting at the picture, the man shook his head. Sensing an opportunity, he smiled. "How much would you pay for her?"

Clark stiffened. There had been no recognition in the man's eyes as he had looked at the picture. Clark realized that he was being baited.

Within a second, Clark was behind the man, applying pressure to a spot on his neck. The man slumped to the ground, and Clark squatted to make sure his breathing was regular. He would wake up in an hour feeling woozy and confused.

Clark moved toward the camp. When his scan turned up no signs of Lois, he sighed and turned away. He had a plane to catch.

* * *

_tbc_


	12. Shock

**Chp 12 – Shock**

**

* * *

****

* * *

**

_-- Smallville – August 2010 --_

Clark paced back and forth across the kitchen, stalking past Cole as he sat on the floor playing. His father stood in the doorway leading to the den, and his mother was leaning against the counter near the oven. They both wore sympathetic expressions.

"There's no way I can delay the FBI from going public now," Clark sighed. "My leaving town already set them back two weeks."

"Clark, you knew Africa was a long shot as it was," Jonathan remarked.

"Yeah, but it was my only shot." Clark ran a hand through his hair and continued to pace.

"Maybe it's time to start looking to the future," Martha soothed. Her gaze was drawn to the small child on the floor. "It's been over a year…"

"I know how long it's been!" Clark stopped pacing and sent an apologetic glance to his mother. "I didn't mean to shout. I just… I don't think I can stop. Not yet."

A knock called everyone's attention to the porch door. Since Clark's pacing had placed him near it, he reached out to grab the handle and pulled it open.

As he recognized the visitor, shock drained all emotion from his voice. "Lois."

**

* * *

**

"Clark," Lois said in surprise. Her thoughts scattered in a number of different directions.

She hadn't expected him to be the one who answered the door. She told herself that she was being silly. Of course she should have considered the possibility that he would be there. It was his family's farm after all. Still, it was unexpected.

They stood staring at one another for what seemed to be an eternity before Lois's gaze flicked to the room behind him. His parents were staring in wonder. Glancing downward, Lois saw something that made her heart miss a beat.

Cole. Her baby.

With a gasp, she hurriedly stepped past Clark's frozen figure and into the kitchen. "Cole!" she exclaimed rushing toward him.

With wide eyes, the child jumped to his feet and ran to his grandfather, inserting himself between Jonathan's legs.

Lois stopped short, realizing that she had scared him. Closing her eyes, Lois raised a hand to cover her mouth as she inhaled deeply to compose herself. With a forced smile, she opened her eyes and held a hand out in supplication.

"Hey, Cole," she tried again.

In response, Cole disappeared behind Jonathan into the den.

"I'll go," Jonathan said, taking a final bewildered look at the kitchen's occupants.

Martha was the first to break out of her shock-induced reverie. She immediately felt sympathy for how Lois must have been feeling after Cole's reaction. She walked over to her and led her to the stool next to the kitchen island.

"Here, Lois, sit down." Martha fought the impulse to launch into a barrage of questions. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Lois smiled gratefully at the older woman. "Water, please. Thanks."

Martha nodded and turned to get a class from the cabinet. She took note of how thin and tired Lois looked.

Lois studied her hands and sighed. "I guess you're wondering where I've been," she started. "I was working on a story and was on my way to check out a tip from one of my sources…"

At that moment, Clark finally snapped out of his daze and he spun away from the door, knocking it closed with the movement. Martha's head turned sharply at the motion.

"A story! God, Lois, do you ever think before you do _anything_?" Clark shouted, his tone matching that of his earlier outburst. He had been looking for her for what seemed to be forever. And just when he was at the point of giving up, she had nonchalantly walked back into his life. "How could you put yourself in a position like this? You have a child! Don't you think that for _his_ sake you could have been responsible for once in your life?"

"Clark," Martha said in a cautionary tone.

Lois's face had turned red in the midst of his verbal attack, and her expression was becoming dangerously livid. Her emotions were fragile, and the leap from deeply hurt to frighteningly angry was quite fast.

"Oh, that's just great! Same old farm boy, right? Always quick with the moral high horse. Do I even get a chance to say anything, or are you not interested in the truth? You know what," Lois scoffed as she jumped from the stool. "I don't need this…"

Her rant stopped abruptly as the room spun and tilted before her eyes.

"Lois!" Martha called worriedly, seeing her stumble.

Lois raised a hand to show she was okay and reached for the counter for stability. She must have misjudged the distance, though, because she missed it by half a foot.

She was barely aware of the pair of arms that enveloped her as she fainted and fell to the floor.

* * *

_tbc_


	13. Fled

**Chp 13 – Fled**

_

* * *

__

* * *

_ _-- Congo - June 2009 --_

Her lungs were going to explode. She knew it.

Something about the humidity changed the way her lungs usually reacted to a jog. And, well, this was a bit more than a jog. Lois was running… full out running. For her life.

And unlike during her early morning jogs, she needed to be quiet. Deathly quiet, because she was being hunted.

The thing was, running through a jungle was anything but quiet. There were trees to dodge, branches hanging and scratching, twigs snapping underfoot… and to add to the irony, the animals chose those moments to _stop_ making noise.

Thanks to The General's insane orienteering courses, she recognized that the increased presence of bugs meant that water was near.

When she arrived at the riverbed, Lois gazed at the muddy water and swallowed. She had no doubt about what animals called this place home. Stories about the African Congo started coming to the forefront of her mind. Crocodile stories.

She reached to wipe the sweat from her face and saw that her hand came back bloody from the scratches that she'd gotten from running through the trees. Glancing back to the line of trees she knew she didn't have much time.

Driven to action by a strong dose of panic and fear, she stepped into the water panting softly. A splash from across the river drew her attention just in time to see the thick scales of a crocodile submerge under the surface.

She'd never make across alive, and _they_ knew it.

Pulling off her sweatshirt, she scrunched it into a ball and threw it as far as she could. She watched as powerful jaws snapped shut around it as soon as the garment hit the water.

Taking a small step backwards, Lois knelt down in the thick mud and used it to cover her face. Once she had done that, she lay down and rolled in it, coating her tee shirt and pants with mud. Standing, she used her hands to slough off the excess sludge and stepped back on the bank, heading back toward the jungle she had just exited.

The mud would cut her scent and help fend off insects. Hopefully the remnants of her clothing would convince the hunters that she'd battled Mr. Crocodile... and lost.

She walked backwards; careful to step in her previous footprints, and to shifted all of her weight on the balls of her feet so the trackers wouldn't know she'd backtracked.

Once back inside the tree line, she paused, listening for a moment, before moving further into the brush.

She found an animal den and bent to remove the branches and leaves that covered the entrance. It was small and dark, but it would have to do.

Sitting, she slid into the hole feet first, praying that no one was home. The hole was so tight that she couldn't move in any direction, as earth was packed solidly around her on all sides. Rock and a hard place, she mentally jeered.

There are no bears on this side of the world, Lois told herself. She couldn't remember if that was true or not. She was having a hard time thinking straight. She needed to calm herself down. They would be able to find her just from how loud her heart was beating.

Pulling loose branches and leaves to recover the opening, Lois found herself panicking from the loss of light. Closing her eyes she thought about back to when she was eight and starting judo lessons.

_'Breathing is the most important lesson,'_ her teacher had told her. _'That's why we do it first. If you cannot take control of your reactions to your opponent, even those as small as your air intake, he will win every time.'_

Right then, Lois was very aware of her reactions. She was scared to death.

* * *

**

* * *

**

_-- Smallville – August 2010 --_

Lois opened her eyes. In the darkness, she was momentarily disoriented.

She slid an arm to her side, fully expecting to come in contact with a wall of dirt. When she realized that she had a handful of comforter instead, relief spread through her body.

It was the dream again. That's all.

Cold sweat trickled down her spine. The effect of the dream was always the same.It made her relive a nightmare.

Blinking, she realized that she was in her old room at the Kent farm. Amazing the kind of comfort you could draw from a familiar ceiling.

"Hey."

Lois jumped at the voice and scrambled across the bed, holding the covers to her chest as she pressed her back against the wall.

Clark was sitting in a chair near the door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I saw that you were awake."

Lois's heart felt like a jackhammer had been let loose inside her chest. She slowly inhaled and held her breath, trying to slow its pounding. Additional beads of icy sweat followed winding trails down her neck and torso.

When she didn't respond, Clark assumed that she was still upset about his outburst. "Listen… Lois, I'm really sorry about earlier. I guess I was just a little shocked to see you standing on the porch like that. Okay, a lot shocked."

She was still silently looking at him.

"It's just… I have been looking for you for five months and I couldn't find anything. There was no trace of you anywhere." Clark sighed heavily. "I was emotional. I overacted, and I'm really sorry. When you fainted, I brought you up here. Mom said you were probably exhausted."

And he'd been sitting in that chair since then. Watching her chest rise and fall with every breath. He had been unable to believe that she was really there.

She still hadn't said anything.

"Do you feel okay?" Clark asked, his voice soft and full of concern.

Lois, having successfully avoided a heart attack nodded and slid to the edge of the bed. Clark stood when she did.

"I'm just going to go to the bathroom," she whispered, quickly stepping past him and leaving the room.

**

* * *

**

Lois leaned over the sink and splashed her face with water. With her hand, she tried to untangle the mess that her hair had become. Frowning at her expression in the mirror, she didn't wonder why Cole hadn't been thrilled to see her. Hell, he'd been with the Kents for half his life. He probably didn't even know who she was.

She noticed a pair of sweats sitting on the closed lid of the toilet. A set of towels, a toothbrush, a comb, and a brush were arranged next to the clothes. Shaking her head, Lois choked back tears. She was grateful for the thoughtfulness of Clark's mother.

God bless Martha Kent, she thought, reaching to turn on the shower.

**

* * *

**

Clark sat on the stairs listening to sound of the water spraying in the bathroom. Now that Lois was back, he was reluctant to allow her to get too far away. It was probably unnecessary to follow her around, especially since she hadn't even left the house, but he felt helpless to do otherwise.

From the way she had responded when she woke up, he figured that she had been having a bad dream. What was strange was how still she had gotten. Somehow, a dream that would have made her thrash out would have been more comforting. He wondered exactly what she been through.

Clark mentally slapped himself for his angry attack on her when she'd first arrived. He just hadn't been able to control himself. What he'd really wanted to do was to reach out and grab her. But he hadn't.

What a welcome home, he thought.

He realized that the water had stopped and the bathroom door was opening. Silently, he crept down a few steps so she wouldn't catch him stalking her.

**

* * *

**

The sweats must have been Jonathan's or Clark's because she had to roll the legs so they wouldn't drag on the floor. Her hair was still damp, even though she had rubbed it vigorously with the towel. There was no way she was going to turn on a hair dryer at this time of night.

Stepping out into the hall, Lois noticed the small balloon-shaped night-light that was positioned outside of Clark's old room. She slowly moved in that direction.

Standing in the doorway of the room, Lois took a moment to look around the room. Everything inside caused her heart to twist. The toys. The little bear that sat on the vacant twin bed. The little baseball hats that hung on the far wall.

But mostly, the thing that drew her attention was the crib and its silent occupant.

Lois quietly moved closer and peered down at the sleeping child.

* * *

"He's a lot bigger than when I last saw him," Lois whispered. She had felt Clark's presence at the door behind her. 

The last time she'd seen Cole, he had been her baby. Now he was almost too big to sleep in the crib. He'd grown up. Without her.

Having been discovered, Clark stepped into the room and walked to the crib.

"And his hair has gotten so dark," she said, reaching down to softly stroke Cole's damp locks.

"Yeah, the blonde hair kind of threw us all off for a while," Clark said with a grin.

"I bet it did." Lois smirked and looked at him for a moment before turning back to the sleeping child. "When I was a baby, my hair was blonde for almost a year. His lasted longer though. I kept wondering when it was going to change." She sighed. "And I missed it."

Clark understood that Lois was feeling sadness over more than hair color. "He's got your eyes."

"Lucky kid," she teased.

Covering her impending tears, Lois stepped back from the crib and looked around the room.

"I guess the attic room is yours now," she said. "I'm sorry for putting you out… again."

Clark was grateful for the sight of the smile that Lois gave him as she faced him, even though he knew she was having a hard time. "It's not a problem." He pointed to the twin bed. "I'll just sleep down here with Cole."

A pained expression crossed Lois's face, and she turned back to the crib.

"Or you could stay down here, if you want."

Lois shook her head. "No, I wouldn't want him to wake up and get scared at having a stranger in his room."

"Lois, he just needs a little time to come around. Mom has been showing him your pictures since he got here. I think the tension in the room scared him- and that was my fault. I'm sorry. He's always been sensitive to stuff like that."

Lois didn't reply. She was affected by the fact that Clark knew more about her baby than she did.

"He knows who you are. He just needs to put it all together."

Lois wasn't so sure about that. Knowing her face from pictures was not the same. Not the same at all.

Clark released the latch on the front of the crib to lower the railing.

"What are you doing?" Lois whispered. "Don't wake him up!"

Clark leaned into the crib and picked Cole up.

"Don't worry. Once he's reached this point, he wouldn't wake up if the cows stampeded," Clark replied. "I thought you might want to hold him."

After being handed to her, Cole snuggled into her embrace. Lois was immediately ambushed with memories of holding him when he was younger. She was overcome with the unique smell of baby freshness and soap. Her eyes closed as she held him close for a few minutes.

"Put him back, Clark."

Hearing the catch in her throat, Clark did as he was asked. As soon as he had replaced the railing to its upright position, he heard Lois choke back a sob.

Leading her to the other side of the room, Clark looked on with concern. "Lois?"

"I thought if I came to see him… to see that he was okay… it would be easier to leave again," she said, haltingly. "But it's not. It's even harder now. At least last time I didn't know I was leaving him."

Confused, Clark pulled Lois into the hallway. "What do mean, leave again? You just got here. You don't have to leave!"

"I can't stay, Clark. If I do, Cole will be in danger. He's better off here with your parents. And with you."

Clark didn't know what to say. It was obvious that Lois felt strongly about what she was saying. And that she was still in some kind of trouble. He just didn't know what it was yet.

Clark knew that it wasn't the time for arguments. He took a step closer and wrapped his arms around her, tightening his hold when she returned the embrace.

**

* * *

**

Clark led Lois to the bed in the attic room and watched as she crawled under the covers and rolled to face away from him.

He pulled the chair he had been sitting in earlier to the side of the bed and sat down. She was obviously exhausted, buthe still was unable to leave her side. He planned to stay there all night if she didn't object.

"Lois, I'm ready to listen, whenever you want to tell me what happened. No more overreactions, I promise."

She was silent for so long that he thought that she'd fallen asleep. When she started speaking, her voice was low and clear.

* * *

_tbc_


	14. Taken

**Chp 14 – Taken**

* * *

_

* * *

_

_-- Industrial District, Metropolis – June 2009 --_

Lois stopped jogging once she reached the pier. Placing two fingers against her throat, she pretended to time her pulse as she scanned the dock. A source had given her a tip about a series of shipments taking off from the docks when she was at work earlier that day.

Seeing that she hadn't drawn any unwanted attention, Lois set off at a leisurely pace towards a large ship matching the description the source had given her. As she got closer, she noticed a few large men walking back and forth on the ship's upper deck. A barge carrying a crane was situated near the ship's hull.

Security, she thought with a grin. She loved a challenge.

Lois knelt to tie her shoe and rolled under the lower railing of the boardwalk in a quick motion. Hanging from the side of the walkway, she inched toward the ship, breaching the distance hand-over-hand like a child on monkey bars. Her wager that the lookouts weren't watching the water paid off as she reached the side of the ship.

Grasping onto some of the cabling that held one of the lifeboats in place, she was able to climb onto the lower deck unnoticed.

Having anticipated the need to travel light, Lois hadn't bought her purse or bag of tools with her, but a couple of handy bobby pins proved to be all that she needed to gain access to the cargo hatch. Getting into the crates that were stacked in there was going to be a bit trickier.

As Lois searched the area for a crowbar, she thought she heard the sound of vehicles on the dock outside the ship.

Lois found a sufficient prying tool next to a large crate that hadn't yet been fully closed. Peering inside, her jaw dropped as she came face to face with a variety of automatic weapons that would have made her father stand to attention.

Hearing voices approaching the room, Lois climbed into the crate and pulled the straw bedding over herself as well as she could. For good measure, she pulled the cover halfway over the opening and pushed a few of the guns to the top of the pile.

The owners of the voices entered the room with heavy footsteps.

"We're pushing a tight time schedule here. Why haven't you finished sealing the crates?" the deeper voice demanded with irritation.

"I would have if your guy hadn't insisted that we do everything ourselves. I only had two crates left to do before you called me up. Hell, we could've had these done weeks ago if I could have hired some guys to do it. You gotta admit the guy's pretty paranoid," voice number two replied.

The footsteps moved toward the crate Lois was hiding in and she held her breath as they stopped inches away.

"If the boss is paranoid, he has reason to be. Come on; let's get this done. This one of them?" number one asked.

"Yeah," number two answered, sliding the top fully onto the crate.

Lois grimaced with each blow of the hammer. She was being sealed inside a case of what was likely to be contraband weaponry. This would be a really good time to make an SOS call… if she hadn't left her cell phone in the car.

Great, she sighed. She had promised Cat that she wouldn't be gone for more than an hour.

"The trucks are here," number two announced when his two-way beeped. "You go open the bay, I'll finish that other crate."

Lois remembered the crane she'd seen earlier. She now realized that the shipments weren't being transported by boat. They were being moved; and it seemed that she was going along for the ride.

As she was trying to decide if she could explain her presence and get back to her car before this thing got out of hand, she felt the crate go airborne. She was roughly jostled as it swung.

"Hey, be careful with that!" a distant voice shouted.

As the crate was deposited onto a solid surface, the back of Lois's head cracked against the stack of guns underneath her. Black spots encroached upon her vision and she realized that the spot was the same as the tender area of her first concussion.

She didn't have enough time to finish the thought as she lost consciousness.

* * *

Lois fought to clear the cobwebs from her head. She had the distinct feeling that she was flying. Her ears felt clogged, she was freezing, and the air quality felt a little unnatural. The screaming sound of rushing air was definitely louder than it would be if she were on the ground. 

She longed to release her body from the cramped compartment. Reaching for the prying tool she had found earlier, she worked through the straw to get access to the cover. After a few awkward maneuvers, she was able to slide it to the side.

Groaning as she pulled herself up, Lois tried to ignore the tingling protests coming from legs that had fallen asleep. She must have been knocked out for hours.

At least my crate wasn't at the bottom of the pile, she thought, trying to find the silver lining to her predicament.

Climbing out of the crate, she realized that she was in the cargo hold of a plane. Light streamed into the hatch through a small window in the rear door. Peering through the thick glass, Lois could only see blue and white for as far as the vantage allowed.

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

_

* * *

_**

* * *

**

_-- Lac Tumba, Democratic Republic of the Congo – June 2009 -- _

Lois crouched behind the large oil drums and tried to figure out what to do next. By the time the plane had landed, she had mentally catalogued every piece of artillery in the case she'd stowed in, and counted the number of crates being transported.

She was in Africa. Where in Africa, she didn't know. She couldn't believe it, but the language and nationality of the men who met the plane after its bumpy landing in the dirt left little room for mistake.

She was still feeling a little dizzy from the blow to the head she had sustained. After waking up mid-flight, she had fallen asleep once again, suffering from the early signs of an impending migraine. Tucked into a corner behind the crates, Lois had woken up when plane hit the ground.

Not long after taxing into a crudely built hanger, the rear door had been opened and she had listened as the pilots discussed the unloading procedures with the men who had been waiting for the flight to arrive. When they had reached an understanding, they'd walked out of the hanger to get others to come and help.

With their backs turned, they weren't looking at the rear of the plane when Lois jumped from the hatch and ducked behind the drums that were lined up against the airline hanger's walls. She watched the unloading process as she assessed her situation.

She had stumbled into the middle of something huge. The two pilots of the plane were American, she was pretty sure of that. Looking at the group of rebel soldiers that were milling around the area, she was also pretty sure that these weapons were being smuggled into the country.

Lois began sweating from more than just the heat. The only opening to the hanger was at the front, and there were a large number of men standing outside armed with guns. She had taken one of the smaller guns from the crate, but hadn't been able to locate any ammunition. At first, she had taken it so she could have something to use to trace the creator. She knew that every gun manufacturer used specialized equipment. If she could find out who made the gun, she could get to the bottom of the crime.

In her current situation, though, she didn't see how that gun would be of any help in getting her out of the hangar alive. Sure, she could use it as a bluff, but short of throwing it at someone, it wasn't going to provide her much protection if things got ugly. And she had a feeling that things were about to get ugly.

Lois dug a shallow hole in the packed dirt at her feet and buried the weapon. Her best bet would be to ditch it.

After a while, the men stopped their labor to return to camp for lunch. Lois waited until it had been quiet for half an hour before she crawled to the hangar's entrance. Sucking in a quick breath, she leaped to her feet and sprinted, heading for the trees as fast as she could run.

"Arretez!" a man's voice called after her as she ran.

When a rifle-bearing man stepped from behind one of the trees in front of her, she had no choice but to comply.

**

* * *

**

French. La langue de l'amour. The language of love. Lois wished she had paid more attention in class. She had always been better at understanding it than speaking it.

Sitting inside a tent, Lois was bound at the wrists and ankles. From the patches of French she was starting to remember, her captors were trying to figure out where she had come from. So far, they hadn't come to the conclusion that she'd been on the plane. It seemed that they thought she had somehow snuck in on them from the jungle. She had no problem letting them continue to think that way.

The two American pilots that she had seen earlier had decided to cut their stay short once she'd been found. They seemed to have been deliberately keeping their distance from her, not wanting her to see their faces. When the plane had been unloaded and refueled, they had taken off.

Lois remembered something about rebels not being fond of killing missionaries. Perhaps she could convince them that she was a missionary who just got lost in the woods. She tried to think of the French word for missionary. Maybe she could get by with the phrase: I work for God.

The guy sitting outside of the tent had been watching her for hours. Lois wondered if he had drawn the short stick, because he hadn't been relived from babysitting like her earlier guard had been. He entered the tent and dragged her outside, untying her hands so he could bind them in front of her body. When he finished, he tossed her a hard bread-like substance, and nodded.

"Thank you," Lois said, realizing that she was starving. It had been at least 24 hours since she had last eaten. "Merci," she added when it appeared that he didn't understand English.

As she ate, Lois watched her guard out of the corner of her eye. He seemed young, around 16 or so. She wondered how young he had been when he had gottendrawn into the wars that had torn apart Western and Central Africa.

The young man was eyeing her curiously and had lowered his weapon so it was now merely pointing in her direction as opposed to her head. Lois had no idea what they were planning to do with her, and neither, it seemed, did they.

She decided she would ask for help. "Aidez-moi?"

The young man laughed and shook his head, raising the gun again. "Ne peut pas."

Maneuvering her hands against the restraints, Lois managed to unlatch her watch. "C'est platinum," she whispered. She figured that her guard was merely a pawn in the group, and rarely able to get anything for himself. She wasn't above bartering for her freedom.

His eyes narrowed as he became aware that she was trying to deal. Taking a cautious glance around, he indicated that she throw it to him. Lois knew that if the watch was out of her hands, she would lose the advantage, but she had no choice. She tossed it in his direction.

After peering at the watch closely for a few seconds, he tested it by weighing it in his hands and biting on it. Satisfied, he nodded and looked back up at her. "Et?"

Sighing, Lois pulled the neckline of her shirt down to access her necklace. On a silver rope chain, a pretty teardrop shaped pendant held a single diamond. Lois knew that the wars ravaging the western coasts of Africa were essentially about control over the continent's natural resources: some of them being mines filled with diamonds, silver, and gold. Perhaps she could reach her freedom by offering that which they sought.

As she held it up from her neck, Lois tried not to think about its sentimental value. She had bought it as a gift for herself to celebrate the birth of her baby.

As light glinted off the diamond, the young man moved closer, seeming to be afraid that someone else would see it and claim his prize. He shot her a sick sneer as he moved next to her, pressing the gun into her abdomen and placing a hand between her breasts.

Lois's eyes fluttered shut as she fought back the bile that threatened to rise in the back of her throat. She knew enough about the practices of these rebel armies to know how they treated women. She wondered if she had it in her to give her body in exchangefor her freedom.

The young man snickered, happy to have established his control over her, and yanked the chain from her neck.

Lois winced and reached up with bound hands to rub the cut on her neck that the action caused.

He shoved the jewelry into his breast pocket and motioned with the gun that she needed to go back into the tent. Lois swallowed, unsure of what to expect. She was relieved that he didn't follow her inside.

**

* * *

**

Hours later, the young man reached inside the tent, untied her legs, and pulled her out into the open. Lois noticed that most of the camp seemed to be sleeping. She had no idea what was in store for her. With the cover of darkness, this could be the time where he decided to help her, turn her over to someone else, or have his way with her. The only thing she knew was that she had never been so scared in her life.

They approached the edge of the camp quietly, deliberately avoiding contact, so Lois knew she could rule out the option that he was turning her over to someone else. It was obvious that he didn't want to be noticed. He reached and untied her hands as they reached the trees.

Hearing someone approaching, he pushed her down into the high grass and stepped a few feet away, unzipping his pants to relieve himself. Another man stepped up next to him and reached to do the same. Lois heard the sound of them talking softly, but could not make out the words.

After a few minutes, the second man grew distressed, pointing back toward the camp and where her guard should have been… watching her. The second man placed a hand on her guard's chest, and Lois realized with a start that he was touching the breast pocket that held her stuff.

Lois watched as they began to struggle. A shot rang out and her young guard fell to the ground with a soft thud. The second man reached down and removed the jewelry, sliding it into his pocket as he began shouting for help.

When he turned back to the camp, Lois began sliding toward the body. As she got closer, she could see that the young man was dead. The shot had been to the head. Lois looked away and took a deep breath. She needed to get his weapon.

Before she could get close enough, though, she heard the yelling get louder in the camp, and footsteps began approaching.

Rising to a crouching position, Lois turned and ran into the jungle, trying to be careful not to make too much noise as she stumbled through the night draped forest.

It wouldn't be long before they started searching for her.

* * *

_tbc_


	15. Connections

**Chp 15 – Connections**

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* * *

_**

* * *

**

_-- Smallville – August 2010 --_

"Da-dee, it's bref-fast," Cole called as he saw Clark enter the kitchen. "I got cereals!"

Clark laughed as the toddler waved at him with a spoon in his fist.

"They look more like Cheerios to me, Buddy," Clark said, leaning over the boy's hand.

Martha glanced at them from her position at the stove and smiled.

"Yup," Cole agreed. "Cereals."

"Yup," Clark mimicked, grinning and ruffling Cole's hair.

"Want some?" Cole held out a handful of the circular pieces.

Clark frowned. "No, I'm going to wait for Mi-mi's eggs… but I will have some of those baby fingers!" Growling, he grabbed Cole's hand and pretended to gnaw on it, sending the boy into peels of laughter.

"Not my fingers!" Cole squealed as Cheerios fell from his hand to the floor.

"And just who is going to be cleaning that up?" Martha asked, laughing at the scene her two boys were making. As she turned back to the oven, her attention was drawn to the staircase.

"Lois, good morning. Did you sleep okay?"

Lois had been watching the interaction between Clark and Cole silently from the staircase. Having been discovered, she went the rest of the way down the stairs. The playful scene around the high chair stopped and Clark turned to her with a worried expression.

"Yes. I slept fine, thank you," Lois answered.

"Well, come sit down and I'll fix you something to eat. How would you like your eggs?" Martha asked, trying to assuage the tension that Lois seemed to be carrying.

Lois's eyes were riveted on Cole, who had stopped laughing when his father had turned to the new arrival. He was watching her curiously.

Lois bit her lip and shook her head, fighting off the emotions that threatened to surface. "I'm really not hungry, but thanks. I'm just going to go outside for a little while."

She shot a smile in Martha's direction, quickly strode across the kitchen to the door and stepped outside. Three pairs of eyes followed her retreat.

"I'll go make sure…" Clark began as he headed toward the door.

"Clark," Martha called, halting his motions. "I think she might need some space, honey."

"But…"

Martha set a plate on table. "Eat your food, sweetie. She'll still be here when you're done. Cole, tell Daddy what a clean plate is."

"Make a Happy Plate, Da-dee," Cole warned, collapsing into giggles when Clark growled at him again.

**

* * *

**

Lois exhaled in relief as the screen door closed behind her. It was all too much to handle. Seeing Clark and Cole sharing a relationship that she was missing out on tore at her soul.

If life were fair, the scene in the kitchen would have been heartwarming. She would have been able to walk into the room jovially, kiss her son good morning, eat her breakfast, and laugh with her family. But life wasn't fair.

Lois moved to sit on the porch swing, gazing at the familiar scenery of the Kent Farm.

"Hey Shelbs," she greeted as the dog rose from his reclined position and padded over to her.

When he hopped onto the swing next to her, Lois chuckled and steadied the chair. "Well at least someone is happy to see me around here."

Shelby seemed content to lie next to her on the swing and she drew comfort from idly stroking his fur as her thoughts drifted.

After a while, a movement at the door drew Shelby's attention, and Lois turned to see Cole peering at her through the screen door; his nose flattened by the mesh.

"Hey," she said softly. She was saddened by how unfamiliar they had become to one another. A little over a year ago, this little boy had been her baby. Now she wasn't even sure how to approach him.

"You want to come outside?" she asked, getting up from the swing and walking to the door.

Cole's head tilted back as he looked up at her, but he didn't respond. Glancing through the screen into the kitchen, Lois met eyes with Martha. Martha smiled and nodded, gesturing for Lois to open the door.

With a trembling hand, Lois grasped the handle and opened the door so Cole could join her on the porch. He darted past her as soon as it was wide enough for his little body to get through. Lois watched as he scurried to the area of the porch where his trucks were piled and sat down to play.

Lois closed the door and headed back to the swing, smiling as Cole made sounds to accompany the movements of his trucks. Every so often, he would look up at her to see if she was watching him. If she happened to turn away, he would get a little louder until she turned back.

Pleased with even this small progress, Lois felt tears come to her eyes and sniffed, using the back of her hand to wipe them away.

"You have an owie?"

Lois blinked and looked at Cole. He was watching her with a concerned expression.

"No, sweetie. No owie," Lois answered with a laugh.

Cole frowned at her and then pushed himself from his seated position. He walked over the swing and squinted at her face. "Are Yyu crying?" he asked.

Lois just smiled and shook her head. "Do you want to sit on the swing with me and Shelby?"

Cole turned to look at his trucks and then glanced at Shelby. The dog chose that moment to move his head into Lois's lap. That seemed to help Cole decide, and he stepped closer to Lois and held his arms out for help getting on her lap.

"Move doggie," he commanded as he leaned back into Lois chest.

Grateful that he was allowing her to hold him, Lois fought the urge to wrap her arms around him as tight as she could. She didn't want to scare him.

"You want to hear a story?" she asked. Her mind filled with memories of the times she used to sit and rock Cole in his room, reciting stories to him even before he could understand them.

"Sure," he replied lightly. "The lela-phat one."

"The elephant one?" Lois asked to clarify.

"Sure!" It was his latest word, so he always liked to throw it in when he could. "Da-dee knows it."

"Good choice. I like that one, too. _I _taught it to Daddy," Lois laughed.

"A long time ago, in a place far, far away, there lived a big family of elephants, and they all had little bitty noses, just like yours…"

**

* * *

**

When the story was over, Cole slid from Lois's lap and headed in the direction of the porch stairs. Shelby jumped from the swing and moved to the stairs, blocking Cole's access. The dog turned his head to Lois, as if wondering if she was going to help him keep Cole in line.

"Hey, where are you going?" Lois called.

"I have to help Papa," Cole answered, lightly pushing Shelby in an attempt to get him to move. "Buttons needs some bref-fast."

Glancing at Shelby, who was not budging, Lois tilted her head. "How about waiting for Papa to come back. He doesn't let you go alone does he?"

Cole studied her for a minute, trying to figure out how she knew the grown-up rules. Lois watched as the little wheels turned in his head. It struck her just how much he had grown up while she was gone.

"Can you take me?"

Lois shook her head in wonder at the angelic face. With those eyes, she didn't think she would ever be able to say no to anything he asked.

"Sure, let's go find Buttons."

As she took his hand, Shelby moved out of the way. "It's all right, Captain," Lois addressed the dog. "I'll take it from here."

Shelby barked in reply and found a spot on the porch to lie down.

**

* * *

**

"Can I go too?"

Martha turned away from the window to see her son giving her his best puppy-dog look. They had been watching Lois and Cole on the porch.

Martha laughed. "Go ahead," she relented.

A huge grin flashed across his face as he reached for the door handle.

"Make sure that goat doesn't get overfed!" she called as he darted out of sight.

**

* * *

**

Around an hour later, Lois returned to the porch alone. Seeing her outside, Martha stepped through with a mug.

Moving to stand next to Lois at the railing, Martha handed the mug to her. "It's not coffee. It's something that will help with the dehydration. My mother's recipe."

"Thanks," Lois said with a small smile. She was always amazed at Martha's intuition.

Martha studied Lois's profile for a moment. She remembered how the young woman had barged into their lives six years earlier. "So the boys left you to fend for yourself, huh?"

Lois set the mug on the railing, wrapping hands around it. "Yeah," she said laughing. "Mr. Kent told Cole he could 'drive' the tractor and Clark went to stack some hay, or something."

Martha frowned slightly at Lois's formal reference to her husband. "Lois…"

"I just want to say thank you," Lois interrupted. "For taking care of him. He looks great… and big. I know it had to be quite a shocker to have a baby delivered to your front door."

"Not as much as finding one in a cornfield."

Lois let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah. I bet." She released a breath and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She slowly turned to face Martha. "Mrs. Kent…"

"I thought we'd gotten past the Mr and Mrs point a while ago."

Lois's gaze flicked away from Martha's. "You're probably wondering why I didn't tell you about Cole… before… y'know."

Martha reached out and placed her hands over Lois's fidgeting ones. "Why don't we go sit down in the kitchen?"

"Do you mind if we sit out here?" Lois asked. "It's crazy, but after living outside for the past year and a half, I think I'm a little claustrophobic."

Martha's eyes narrowed in question.

"It's a long, complicated story," Lois sighed, grimacing as she met Martha's eyes. "But, then what isn't?"

They moved to sit down and Lois focused her attention on her hands.

"Honey," Martha began. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Right, just drop a line in one of the Christmas Cards. 'Happy Holidays. I'm pregnant. Love Lois,'" Lois quipped. "The truth is, there were so many times when I would reach for the phone and start dialing… but then I would convince myself you deserved to get the news in person, and I'd hang up. Then I'd decided that Clark should know first… and then I had Cole, and the more excuses I made, the easier it was to put it off."

Lois sighed and turned to face Martha. "I'm really sorry that you found out the way that you did. I think part of me was afraid of the fallout. When my dad went ballistic, I kind of just… I didn't want you and Mr. Kent to be disappointed. You guys mean a lot to me… but I know I made it worse by not telling you. Calling, sending pigeons, or something… anything," she ended sarcastically.

Given the circumstances, Martha was happy to see the spark of humor. She reached out and took the young woman's hand, determined to show her support. "It would have been nice to know earlier, but we are grateful that he got to us and that you made it back safely. You didn't go through the pregnancy alone did you?"

Lois swiped at a tear. "Oh not at all. Cat was there, and Perry was awesome. Everything was fine."

Martha could see the effort Lois was putting into making everything upbeat, but she knew that something was missing. "Cat told me that you and your dad aren't speaking. What about your sister?"

"Lucy? Uh, Lucy's AWOL," Lois scoffed. "She and I had a… disagreement. She got in trouble and called me for help, but I wasn't exactly in a position where I could jump up and go to the rescue like normal," Lois explained, gesturing towards her midsection.

"Did she know you were pregnant?"

"No. It never really came up. She had to call The General, and when he found out what trouble she'd gotten herself into, she blamed me. And then he blamed me."

"Sweetie, I'm sorry." Martha said sympathetically. "I'm sure it would have been nice to have your sister there for you."

"Well, she's a Lane, and we tend to have a wild streak," Lois replied.

"So, about Cuba…" Martha started, fixing a maternal look on Lois.

"Cuba…" Lois repeated uneasily.

"Clark has been rather tight-lipped on the subject. Didn't you two use…"

"Ah!" Lois interrupted. "No. I mean, yes." Lois held up a hand as she began to explain. "We weren't really prepared for… it, so Clark didn't… wasn't." She sighed. This was a torturous conversation piece. "I was covered. Birth control. So it was all quite surprising. Cole was, I mean."

Martha's gaze narrowed. Obviously the control had been lacking in more than one area. "Could you have missed taking a pill one day or something?"

"No," Lois laughed. She quickly sobered when she realized Martha wasn't as amused. "The General didn't have much experience with girls, but he had heard the stories of plenty of boys and men through the years. So our Sweet 16 parties were held at the OB/GYN. He didn't buy the whole one-a-day thing, so he had us implanted. The things are supposed to havea six-year life cycle, so you can imagine my shock, and his fury, when mine didn't seem to work. Or in his words, when it stopped keeping the soldiers out of the fort. He thinks I purposely had it reversed just to punish him. Everything's always about him…"

Lois sighed and made a mental reminder with herself to talk to Clark about his potency. She had noticed the ring he was wearing and thought it would be information his wife should have. Her mind stuttered at the word wife. She wondered who it could be. Had the woman been playing mother to her son as well?

"Was the pregnancy… normal?"

"Like I would know the difference," Lois answered lightly. She saw the concerned look in Martha's and tuned away. "Except for a really nasty case of morning, noon, and night sickness for the first two weeks, my doctor said everything was fine. And here I was thinking I just had the flu."

A thought occurred to Lois and she abruptly turned back to face the older woman. "Cole hasn't done anything strange, has he? I mean, he hadn't before, but Clark never talked about how early it was when he started going all super-human… Cole did have pretty stinky diapers when he started solid foods, but the pediatrician said that was just… Has he been sick at all? Because he was never sick. Not even a cold…"

Martha laughed and shook her head. "No, honey. He's just been a normal little boy. I don't think we need to worry about Cole showing any signs of his heritage for a few years at least."

"His heritage," Lois repeated softly. One parent with a nose for trouble, and one who always had a nose in it. "I almost missed all the fun."

"How in the world did you get back?" Martha asked, having heard part of the story from Clark that morning.

"I was able to get to the Fort, and I walked from there."

"You walked!" Martha exclaimed.

"Well, I hitchhiked some, but mostly I walked. Good thing I studied those Smallville maps when I was bored, right?" Lois quipped, attempting to be light.

Martha stared at her with her mouth agape. It was no wonder that the poor child had fainted from exhaustion the day before. "Why didn't you call us from the Fort? We would have come to get you."

Lois looked down at the hand that still held hers. "I needed to be sure that no one would be able to track me here."

Martha squeezed her hand. She could see in Lois's eyes that she believed the threat wasn't over.

* * *

_tbc_


	16. Refuge

**Chp 16 – Refuge**

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_-- Congo - June 2010 (2 Months Earlier) -- _

"Miss Lane. We must go soon."

Lois rubbed her eyes and blinked. "Okay, Valu. I'm up."

The young man smiled and nodded, ducking out from under her tarp.

Lois rolled off of her sleeping bag and stretched. She had been traveling with a group of displaced refugees since a few days after escaping from the rebel camp. The group of IDP's (internally displaced persons) was being helped to return to their home villages after having been driven away by the civil wars. Two Methodist missionaries, Bob and Susan Melhavey, were traveling with them.

**

* * *

**

Valu had been the one who found her lying in the jungle close to death a year earlier. After three days of fleeing the clutches of the rebel army, Lois had succumbed to hunger and thirst. Dehydrated and barely able to stand, she had been so thirsty that she had allowed herself to drink from a nearby stream.

It hadn't rained, and the dew she collected in the mornings wasn't enough to sustain her through the day. When she had been forced to lie down from the intense cramps in her abdomen, Lois had thought she would never get up again.

That was when Valu found her and brought her to his camp, where Susan had exhausted a three-month supply of antibiotics trying to nurse Lois back to health. When they had heard her story, they vowed to not let her fall into the hands of the roving rebels. During their travels, Lois had often been forced to hide under piles of tarp and supplies as their group encountered other travelers. They had to be careful about her being spotted by one of the rebels.

Bob and Susan were remarkable people. They had been living in Africa for 5 years, originally arriving as missionaries to help with the UN's first attempt at repatriating refugees in 2005. During what had seemed to be a period of peace, the rebels had been secretly re-grouping. The actions to help displaced villagers return home had been delayed when the rebel armies began their attacks again. Even though the political environment was still unstable, the group of villagers from Mayoko, on the other side of the Congo River and 1,000 miles south of Lac Tumba, had decided to return. They were tired of living in fear.

Bob and Susan had decided that their lives were with these people. They had lost their adult daughter when the rebels had attacked, and now they felt that they were bonded to the people and the land.

Katrina Melhavey. That had been their daughter's name. It was the name on the passport that would help Lois return to the United States.

Lois had traveled with the DPI's as they walked across the jungle to get back to their homes. She needed to get to Point-Noire, the shipping harbor located on the coast. It was her best chance to try and get passage back to America without too many questions. There were other small airstrips throughout the country, but rebels manned them, and Lois was not in the mood for another run-in with them any time soon.

The day before, their travels had reached a crossroads. The villagers had turned Northwest, heading for home, while Lois had turned Southwest, toward Point-Noire. Valu had come with her, pledging to see her safely to the harbor before returning to Mayoko.

**

* * *

**

"It is deep here, Miss Lane," Valu called over his shoulder as he struggled to stay upright while crossing the murky swamp.

"Okay, thanks," Lois yelled back, working to follow his steps.

Crossing swamps was always the most taxing part the journey. When the flies bit, they must have actually taken a chunk of flesh out, because the pain they caused was immense. The leeches were the worst. Lois had learned that the best way to get them off was to burn them with a lighter. As thin as she was from the unintentional diet she'd been on for the last year, Lois didn't know what sustenance the leeches thought they could get from her.

"And I told you, calling me Miss Lane makes me feel old. Will you ever call me Lois?"

Valu laughed and reached to help her step onto solid ground. "It is respect," he replied. Valu's grasp of English was pretty good, but he liked to keep his words simple.

"It makes me feel old," Lois repeated.

"I think because I saved your life, I get to choose." He shrugged and continued walking.

"You know it's unfair to use that 'saved your life' bit to win every argument, right?"

Valu glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Yes," he answered simply.

Lois shook her head and adjusted her pack as they continued making their way through the foliage.

She often thought about the circumstances that had brought them together. Valu was the about the same age as the young rebel soldier who had been killed helping her escape. She had gotten to know him well over the last year, and she was grateful that his life had delivered him into the care of the Mayoko villagers and not into the service of murdering raiders.

When guerrilla armies attacked villages, they made sure to kill the men and older boys who resisted them. The younger boys were adopted into the armies and given guns. That was the recruiting method.

Valu's village had been attacked when he was eight. He had escaped being taken by hiding under the bodies of his dead parents. The raiders had thought he was dead too. Pain was part of the glue that had bonded him to Bob and Susan Melhavey like a son.

The only ones who profited from war were the smugglers and the grave diggers. If she could do something the slow the first group down, maybe the second would have less to do.

**

* * *

**

"Are you certain that you will be fine?" Valu asked.

They had finally reached the city and Lois was preparing to make her Escape from Alcatraz.

"Absolutely. I grew up around these ships. They won't find me until it's too late to turn around."

When they had arrived at the bustling port, Lois had been delighted to see that one of the ships at the dock was a US Navy vessel, finishing up the goodwill visit by a couple of senators bearing food and supplies for the UN repatriate initiative. Valu was unconvinced that she would be able to get past the security, and even less certain that she would be able to hide once on board.

Lois grinned and handed him her pack. She wouldn't be able to take it with her. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." She held the passport up briefly before tucking it underneath her shirt. "When they do find me, they'll think I'm Katrina Melhavey. At the worst, they'll lock me in a cabin until we reach the States and hand me over to the police. No big deal."

Actually, it was a big deal, but Lois wasn't about to let her guide know that. She had no intention of allowing herself to be handed to the authorities once she was on her native soil. She couldn't afford the publicity that would come from that.

Lois Lane would engage the media on her own terms.

Giving him a fierce hug, Lois stepped into the shadows.

* * *

**

* * *

**

_-- Kansas - August 2010 --_

The reaction to finding out that she had stowed away on the ship was exactly what Lois had predicted. She ended up locked in a cabin and the relevant authorities had been alerted. Even though the military hadn't wanted to make public that their security had been breached, the story had leaked, and the media had gone into overdrive trying to find out the details.

Fortunately her past experience with ships like the one she had been on had allowed her the ability to release herself from the room and disappear into the disembarking crowd. The media would have field day when they found out that the Navy had lost their prisoner. They still had the passport, which they had confiscated when they discovered her, but Lois knew it would just send them on a wild goose chase. In the meantime, she had made her way to the Sunflower state.

She sighed and looked up at the placard crossing the driveway. It announced that she had finally arrived at the Kent Farm.

_

* * *

_

* * *

_-- Smallville - August 2010 (Present Day) --_

Martha shook her head in wonderment at Lois's story. She couldn't help but admire Lois's ability to survive.

"Mrs. Kent," Lois began, preparing to apologize again for not contacting them about Cole when she had the chance.

"Lois, it's Martha. We moved past all that years ago. You were part of the family then, and you are part of the family now."

Lois's face crumpled as the genuine affection in Martha's expression drew out all the emotions and anxieties she had been keeping at bay. Seeing her finally break, Martha pulled her into her embrace and gently rocked her.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's going to be okay."

**

* * *

**

"Is everything okay?" Clark asked as he, his father, and Cole arrived at the porch. Lois and his mother were sitting on the porch in silence. Lois held a mug in her hands and her eyes were red.

Martha patted Lois's knee and stood up. "Everything's fine."

"I drived!" Cole announced, clomping up the porch steps.

"Drove, Cole," Clark corrected.

"I droved!"

Everyone laughed and Jonathan and Clark climbed the stairs behind him.

"Well I'm going to get ready to go in to the Talon for this afternoon. Saturdays tend to get busy around one," Martha said as she opened the screen door.

Cole scampered into the house ahead of her, running into the kitchen and reaching to pull his Sippie Cup from the high chair.

"Hey, Big Guy," Jonathan called, walking to him. "Let's go wash our hands first."

When the door had closed behind Cole and his parents, Clark stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the railing.

"Are you okay?"

Lois smiled and looked up at him. "Sure," she said, using Cole's word.

Clark chuckled. "He's something special isn't he? That's why you should stay."

Lois's smile faded. "I can't do that." She met his gaze. "If it were you, and staying had the possibility of bringing harm to the people you loved, would you do it?"

Lois already knew what his answer would be. She had been a victim of him having that line of thought already.

"It's not that simple…" Clark began.

"No?" Lois asked, narrowing her eyes. "Your decision to continue to country hop after Cuba seems pretty simple to me. Don't tell me: you figured that you were keeping me out of danger right?"

"Lois, I would have…"

"Don't say it, Clark. It doesn't matter anymore." Lois glanced toward the house. "I've got to finish this story for a number of reasons. There are people who are suffering because someone in Metropolis is smuggling guns to rebel armies. I've lived with these people, and they are being terrorized. I can't turn my back on them. Not after everything that they've done for me."

Lois ran a hand through her hair. "And there's those two pilots… It won't be long before word gets out and the people behind all of this start putting two and two together. They are going to come for me, and I need to be as far away from Cole as possible when they do. I will not let them know that they can get to me through my son. I need him to be safe so that I can go and do what I do best. Investigate."

Clark was silent for a moment, recognizing her resoluteness. "I'm coming with you."

"No you're not."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Non-negotiable."

"You need to be with your family, Clark. Not out trying to baby-sit me." Lois rose from the swing and set her mug on the railing.

"They were doing just fine before I came back. You, on the other hand, could have used some backup."

Lois wondered if she had the energy to take on Clark Kent when she wasn't feeling her best.

"I'm coming with you," he repeated stepping closer to her. "Lois, we're a team: you, me, Cole… my parents. If you're going out to save the world, I'm going to make sure that Cole gets his mother back."

"What will your wife think about that?"

"What?"

Lois grabbed his hand and held it in front of his face. The wedding band gleamed in the sunlight. Clark had grown so accustomed to wearing it that he'd forgotten about it.

"Your wife. What will she say about you taking off to Metropolis with another woman?"

Clark laughed from the irony. "Uh, yeah. My wife. We need to talk about that…"

"No. You don't have to explain anything to me, Smallville. When this is all over, we can all sit down and talk about having Cole come to visit and…"

"Lois," Clark interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You don't understand. The person I'm married to is _you_."

* * *

_tbc_


	17. Reentry

**Chp 17 – Reentry**

**_

* * *

_

* * *

**

_-- Smallville -September 2010 --_

"I hate that you're leaving so soon, but I'm sure you and Clark will be able to sort everything out."

Lois looked up at Jonathan with an expression of slight amazement. His quiet support and confidence was more than she could have ever have wished to get from her own father. She hadn't realized that it was something that she wanted.

"Thank you," she said softly, turning back to face Cole.

They had been sitting on the floor of the den rolling a ball back and forth when Jonathan had walked in.

"Mom, mom, get the ball. Get it."

Lois smiled as she reached for the ball and rolled it back to him. She would never get tired of hearing Cole call her that. Clark had been right, he had come around.

"We can stay, you know," Clark had just walked up behind his father. He could see that Lois was enjoying herself.

Lois frowned. "No, we'll go as planned." She sighed. "Is it time?"

When Clark nodded, Lois caught the ball and threw it onto the couch. She rose to her feet and brushed off her jeans.

Martha entered the room and reached to embrace Lois. "We'll see you soon, okay?"

Lois nodded. They had spent the day saying goodbye so there really wasn't more to be said.

As Clark reached to hug his parents, Lois knelt down and picked Cole up. "All right, little man, Mommy and Daddy have to go."

Cole twisted in her arms to face his grandparents. "Bye Mi-mi! Bye Papa! Gotta go!" He was waving energetically. "See ya!"

Tears immediately sprung to Lois's eyes. "No, baby. You're going to stay with Mi-mi and Papa, remember?"

"Nooooooo," he whined, turning to latch onto her tighter. He buried his face in her neck. "We gotta go."

Lois closed her eyes and swallowed. Her mouth opened and shut a few times before she was able to speak again. "Here, go to Mi-mi."

"Nooooo!"

Lois tried to hand him to Martha but he was holding on with all the strength in his little body. After a few tugs, Lois was too emotional to try again. "I can't…"

Martha fought back her own tears as she helped to pry him away. When Cole began crying and frantically reaching for her, Lois released a quick breath and hurried outside. Clark swiftly followed behind.

Martha and Jonathan watched as Clark wrapped an arm around Lois's waist just as she crumpled. Clark glanced over his shoulder back at the house, unsure of what to do.

Cole was still in tears and reaching towards the door. Martha turned and carried him up the stairs so Lois wouldn't continue to be tortured by his cries.

Jonathan stepped outside and pulled Lois away from Clark and into his arms. He held her until her breathing settled and helped to lead her to the car. Clark hurried to open the passenger door, stepping aside to let Lois get in. He and his father made their way around to the driver's side, and Clark accepted his father's offer of a handshake.

"Take care of her."

"I will."

**_

* * *

_

* * *

**

_-- Metropolis - September 2010 --_

Lois held her breath as Clark unlocked the door to her apartment. It took her a few moments before she was ready to follow him inside. She entered and silently took stock of her surroundings.

"I think it looks better than when I left," she commented, lightly tracing a finger along her bookshelf.

"That's because of Cat, actually," Clark responded. He was watching her from the other side of the room. Standing with his hands stuffed in his pockets, he followed her with his eyes as she walked toward the two bedrooms.

"Cat," Lois said softly. "There's a lot I need to thank her for."

Lois paused in front of Cole's bedroom before moving on to her own. Clark noticed but decided not to say anything. She would enter the room when she was ready.

"You want something to eat?" Clark called from the living room.

After over a year of eating very little, Lois's appetite had diminished. Martha had made it her mission to help rebuild it by offering Lois small portions of meals and snacks every time she turned around. Lois figured that Clark was taking over the job.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Lois answered, coming back into the room.

"Okay, great. What will it be?"

Lois followed him into the kitchen and watched as he scanned the refrigerator and cabinets for something edible.

"What, are _you_ going to cook?" Lois snarked.

Clark smirked. "Yes, I was thinking that I would."

She crossed her arms over he chest and leaned against the cabinet. "In that case, lasagna with a tossed salad on the side is my vote."

Clark rolled his eyes. "I can't make _that_."

"Oh, that's too bad," Lois sighed, feigning disappointment. "What are we having then?"

Clark was happy that they were bantering. The drive to Metropolis had been conducted in silence. The goodbyes had been rough on everybody.

Clark pulled a couple of cans from the cabinet. "Looks like soup… and soup."

"In that case, I think I'll have some soup."

Lois was gaining some of her confidence and swagger back as she was getting back to her domain. She had never been good with inactivity. It made her anxious.

There was an underlying pain in her heart the size of her baby, but she knew that it would help to keep her focused. The sooner they got started, the sooner it would be finished.

"You're pretty handy with a can opener, you know," she observed.

"You should see me with a spatula."

**

* * *

**

"I want to go in early," Lois announced, placing her bowl in the sink. "I'd like to get there before the crowd if possible. We can talk to Perry, brief him on what's going on, and then put together a plan of attack."

"You're going to need this," Clark said, handing her a box.

She glared at him and pulled the ring out. With a sigh, she slid the band onto her finger. "This doesn't mean you aren't sleeping on the couch."

Clark blushed. "Oh, no. I, um, wasn't…"

Lois fought to control the grin that was threatening to break. He had always been an easy target. "No, Smallville. I knew you weren't thinking about _that_." She cocked an eyebrow. "But I 'm talking about no sitting in chairs next to the bed, or outside the door. You get the couch. All night."

Clark's shoulders fell. He had thought he was being sneaky with his nightly vigilance. Lois hadn't said anything because for a while it had been comforting.

"Can I have a pillow?"

**

* * *

**

"You look like you're nervous."

"That would be your fault," Lois replied, jabbing the elevator button with her thumb.

"My fault?" Clark asked.

"Yes." She held up her hand. "_This_ is your fault. I have to pretend to be married for heaven's sake. I'm supposed to walk in there as if I haven't spent the last year in a hell disguised as paradise, and I have to act as if I have been married for the past four and a half years. It's a wrench in my plans. A really big wrench. There is no way people will believe that _we_ are married."

"It's an estranged marriage - it won't seem out of the ordinary if we are a bit off."

"Oh that's just perfect. Not only do I have a fake marriage, but it's a failed one at that. This is just about…"

"Lois…" Clark interrupted.

"What?" she demanded, turning to face him.

"You're panicking."

"I do not panic."

Clark laughed and reached to rub her arms with his hands. Lois's gaze narrowed as he stepped closer.

"Don't fall for me, Farm Boy. I don't have time for it."

Clark dropped his arms and smiled. "It's too late… Lois…"

"Don't, Clark."

Lois jumped to exit the elevator as the doors slid open. She stalked away from him with a brisk pace.

Clark frowned and exited, slowly following in her wake. Lois was good at dodging him, but he was determined to tell her how he felt. He'd been about to do it in Cuba, but had decided to wait for the perfect moment. Now, years later, he realized that there was no such thing as a perfect moment, and waiting only led to missed opportunities.

The few staffers in the newsroom that got their first glance at the couple could see that love was not in the air.

**

* * *

**

Lois stepped through Perry's open door with a grin. "I don't know how you managed without me!"

Perry laughed and Lois caught sight of the office's other occupant. "Cat!" she exclaimed, running over to hug her.

Perry stood and caught Clark's hand in a firm handshake. "It's good to have you back. The Feds were ready to send choppers out when I told them Lois would be here this morning. I promised that you would be calling to set up a chat as soon as you could. It was about all I could do to hold them off."

"Thanks, Chief. We'll call right away."

"How's everything going?"

Clark shrugged. The frustration from the elevator confrontation was still evident on his face. Perry nodded knowingly and walked over to Lois.

"I'm really glad you're back, now would you mind telling me where the hell you have been?"

**_

* * *

_

* * *

**

_-- Metropolis - September 2010 --_

"Detective Henderson was a lot nicer to you than he has been to me over the past few months," Clark remarked as they left the station.

"You call that nice?" Lois asked.

Clark shot her a wry smile. "He was happy to see you alive, Lois."

"He was happy to close the case."

"I thought you weren't planning on telling the police about the plane and the crates," Clark said.

"And I'm still not going to. Henderson's different. He'll help us cover. He won't like it, but he'll do it."

"And what about the Feds?" They had met with the FBI the day before and given them the details of Lois's inadvertent kidnapping. They were preparing to launch an investigation and wanted more meetings to discuss it further.

"I don't trust them. They have more leaks than a strainer. You remember Chloe's safe house?" Lois cocked her head to the side. "Exactly my point."

"What about their investigation?"

"They can investigate. I'll just have my own investigation going at the same time."

"We," Clark corrected.

"What?"

"_We'll_ have our own investigation going at the same time."

"That's what I said. Anyway, I was thinking about heading back to the docks to see if anything stands out."

"That sounds good." They began walking back to The Planet. "Lois, we need to talk about us."

Lois stopped walking and faced him. "Clark, I told you not to go there."

"Yeah, I heard what you said, but you haven't taken the chance to hear _me_." Clark reached for her arm as she started to turn away. "You can feel any way that you want to, but I love you and I'm going to keep telling you that whenever I feel like it because you can't wait for perfect moments. You have to take advantage of the ones you get."

Lois fixed him with a glare and walked away. Clark jogged to catch up with her.

"I know you can't say it back, and that's okay. I'm not trying to pressure you. I just don't want to get caught in a place where I can't tell you, or anyone for that matter, how I feel. I've lived for too long keeping things inside."

Clark grinned at her. He was relieved to be able to get that off his chest, and decided to add one more thing for good measure. "I love you, Lois Lane."

By that time they were standing in front of the main doors of the Planet Building. Lois narrowed her gaze angrily at him and walked into the building. "_We_ have a meeting with a source in an hour. Let's get to work," she threw over her shoulder.

**

* * *

**

"Well, look whose back from sabbatical. _That_ is a killer tan," Bobby Big Mouth commented. "What beach have you been laying on?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Business before pleasure, Bobby. What have you got for me?"

Bobby eyed the man standing behind her. "What, are you brining a bodyguard to your meetings now? Hey, Tin Man, you mind giving us a little privacy here?"

Clark narrowed his eyes and wondered how far he could throw the snitch.

Lois smirked as she felt Clark bristle. "Sorry, Bobby. He stays. This is Clark Kent, my… partner."

"Partner? Lois Lane sharing a byline with someone else? Yeah right. That'll be the day." Bobby paused and took another look at Clark. "Wait… is this the guy? This is the guy! The husband!

Nice to meet you!"

Bobby reached out a hand toward Clark. "I didn't really believe the rumor mill, its not always reputable, you know. But here you are. How did you manage to land this Lane-shark, eh?"

"Bobby," Lois interrupted, sternly.

He turned back to her. "Oh, sorry. The business-before-pleasure rule. Geez, Lane, you really should try mixing the two… or maybe you already have that down," he teased pointing at Clark.

"Bobby," she warned.

"All right, all right. I have to say that you going on vacation like that with no warning put me in bind."

Lois moved to sit at the outdoor table next to Bobby, and indicated that Clark pull up a chair. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, I had to talk to some of your competitors. Information is a commodity. People need my services."

Lois sighed. "We had an understanding before. I need you to commit to exclusivity again. You talk to me only… and him," she pointed to Clark. "But that's it."

Bobby took a second to think about it. "It'll cost ya."

Clark leaned over and mumbled into Lois's ear so only she could hear. "The Planet has a policy of not paying sources…"

"Hey, what's he saying?"

Lois glanced at Clark with a cocked eyebrow. "He says he'll personally cover your fees."

Clark's eyes widened at her reply, and Bobby clapped his hands together.

"Good man," Bobby remarked. "But I don't know. I mean, what if you decide to skip town again and leave me hanging? A man's got to look out for his best interests. I need some insurance."

Lois pulled a bag onto the table. "You know what, Bobby? You're absolutely right." She pulled a piece of Chocolate Mousse Silk Pie from the bag and opened the plastic cover. As she pulled a plastic fork from the bag, she continued, "You'll want some insurance because the years that we have worked together mean nothing. Our history…meaningless."

She sliced into the pie and put the section into her mouth. "Mmmph. This is sooo good."

Bobby licked his lips and reached over to grab the pie. "Okay, you win. You got me. I'm yours. Everything I get, goes only to you."

Lois handed him an extra fork. "And there's two more in the bag."

Bobby jumped up from the table, shoveling forkfuls of pie into his mouth. "You're a doll, Lane. This stuff is amazing." He grabbed the bag and began backing away from the table. "It was good to see you again, Lois. I was starting to get worried."

"It's good to be seen, Bobby. We'll talk soon, all right?"

"Mmm-hmmph," he replied around more pie. With a wink, he disappeared around the corner.

"You pay him with food?" Clark asked. An expression of disbelief was on his face.

"I used to." Lois smiled and stood up. "Now, _you_ pay him with food."

**

* * *

**_tbc_


	18. Submerge

**Chp 18 - Submerge**

**

* * *

__****_

* * *

_**

_-- Industrial District, Metropolis – September 2010 (Later that night) --_

"Do boats get assigned parking spaces?" Lois asked, scanning the dock area. "Maybe we can get a hold of a log book or something."

"Does anything look familiar?" Clark asked.

"Not really. There was a transport barge over here, and I'm pretty sure they used the crane to get the crates off the ship. I'm guessing there was a semi involved… I remember one of the guys saying something about trucks."

Lois leaned against a wall and sighed. "It probably would help if I weren't trying to remember something from almost two years ago.

Clark thought he heard a muffled sound and shifted his head to listen.

"Lois!" he shouted, stepping toward her and reaching out to pull her to the side at the same time.

"Wha-" Lois started as Clark took hold of her shoulders.

Seconds later flecks of concrete hit the ground as a bullet buried itself in the wall next to her- where her head had just been.

"Oh. Okay." Lois swallowed and her eyes focused on the hole in Clark's jacket where the bullet had grazed him. After releasing a breath, she met his gaze. "What are you still doing here?"

Clark frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you still standing here? Go get him! You know- Speedy Gonzales and all that?"

"Lois, you just got shot at! I'm not going to go chasing after…"

"He's getting away!" Lois shook his hands off her arms and stepped away from the wall. "I should have been the one with the turbo booster power. What's the point of having supercharged genes if you don't use them when you should!"

Clark turned to face her. "There could be someone else waiting around to finish the job, Lois!"

"Well, is there?"

Clark's eyes squinted as he turned to scan the area. "No. Everything's clear."

"Because you _stalled_ and let them get away!" Lois accused, pointing a finger at him.

"Lois," Clark interrupted. He noticed that the finger she pointed at him was shaking.

She ignored him and kept mumbling under her breath.

"Lois, look at me." Clark grabbed her arms and turned her to him. "Just hold on for a second."

"Damn Feds," Lois commented, her head swiveling as she tried to inspect every shadow she could see. "I _knew_ this would happen as soon as they started looking into this stuff. They might as well have put a spotlight on me… or broadcasted my position by GPS."

"Lois!" Clark finally drew her gaze. "What is it?"

Lois sighed. "That's the first time I've been shot at and not hit."

"Tony," Clark remembered, his eyes moving to the ear that had been the site of injury.

"Tony," she affirmed. "And others."

"Others?" Clark stepped back quickly and began looking at all of the places where skin was exposed. "Where? When?"

"Nothing serious… I, um, have a variety of Keflar clothing items in my closet."

Clark was about to ask for further detail when he noticed that her trembling hadn't lessened.

"Well, maybe your luck is changing," he offered.

"Maybe." She granted him a grim smile in reply. "I think I've had enough _I Spy_ for the night." She reached to massage the bridge of her nose. "I just want to go home."

Clark nodded. "I have an idea. Let's go to the farm for the weekend. We can take a break, spend some time with Cole…"

"No." Lois shook her head and pointed to the hole in the wall. "This means that I am being watched. I can't take the chance that they would follow me to Cole."

"I can get us out of here without drawing too much attention. Speedy Gonzales, remember?"

"I know that _you_ can disappear at the drop of a hat, but have you ever tried that act with a passenger?" When he shook his head, she continued. "These aren't really the best circumstances for experimenting, you know. People watching me means that people are watching you, too. We have to be careful that no one sees anything we don't want them too."

Clark grudgingly acknowledged that she had a point. "You're right. We'll stay."

"No. I want you to go."

"Lois, I'm not leaving you while someone is…"

"I need you to go and check on my baby for me, Clark. If you say he's okay, I'll know for sure that he is."

Clark frowned. "I don't know, we could…"

"Please."

They stood silently looking at one another for a moment before Clark relented. The soft plea had done him in.

"Okay. I'll go, but only after I know you are safely at home."

**

* * *

**

Lois turned to face Clark as she stepped into the apartment. She began gesturing with her hands, using two fingers to point to her eyes, than his, than the room.

"What is it?"

Lois glared at him and pointed to his eyes again. "Nothing," she said lightly, contradicting the words with her expression. "It's been a long day, I think I'm going to go jump in the shower."

Clark's brow creased. He figured that there was something he was missing. Lois shook her head and grabbed his arm to pull him with her into the bathroom. She turned the sink faucet on and reached to switch on the water in the tub.

When she finished, she shut the door and pulled Clark to sit next to her on the side of the bathtub.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I wanted you to check for bugs… surveillance. My guess is that the FBI put out an order to have me tapped, and that alerted our friendly neighborhood sniper."

Clark nodded, and left the bathroom. He returned a couple of minutes later.

"I've got your towel," he announced, as he pushed the door closed behind him. "You were right. There are listening devices in the phone, the kitchen, under the coffee table in the living room, and in your closet. I'm certain that they weren't there this morning."

Lois looked at the ceiling and rolled her eyes. "My closet? What did they expect to get from my closet?"

"Should we remove them?"

"No," she answered. "I don't want them to know that _we_ know, yet. We'll talk to them first thing Monday morning. In the meantime, looks like we'll be taking a lot of showers."

"I don't mind," Clark said, giving her a sly smile.

There was a glint in her eye as she remembered how he had reacted to sharing bathroom space years earlier when she lived on the farm. She quickly schooled her features and swallowed the reply that had been on her lips. "Call my cell when you get to the farm. You've got the number, right?"

She turned off the running water and left the room.

Clark smiled as she disappeared around the corner. "Yeah, I've got your number," he mumbled under his breath.

**

* * *

**

Lois heard the buzz of her phone against the kitchen counter and raced to grab it. She had put the phone on silent so that 'the ears' wouldn't be alerted to her phone calls.

She slipped out onto her terrace and slid the door shut behind her.

"Hey, how is everything?" she asked once she'd flipped the phone open.

"Everything's fine out here. I scanned the house and barn, and didn't find anything, so either they aren't planning to bug the farm, or they haven't gotten around to it yet."

Lois sighed in relief. "We'll make sure they don't get the chance." She leaned against the concrete railing. She heard crying in the background. "Is that Cole?"

"Uh, yeah," Clark answered. "We have a little problem."

"What! Is he okay?"

"No, he's fine… it's just… when he saw me come in, he was looking for you and got a little upset that you didn't come, too. I'm having a hard time getting him to go to bed."

"How long has he been going like that?" Lois hated hearing the sound of her baby crying.

"Since I got here – about an hour. Wonder where he gets this stubborn streak from."

"Watch it, Kent."

"I was hoping you could try talking to him. It might help calm him down."

"Okay, put him on."

Lois grimaced as the sound of crying intensified as the phone was brought closer to the source. She heard Clark's voice call out when the crying was the loudest. "He's there, Lois."

"Cole," she called softly. "Hey, baby."

"Mommeee," he whined, and continued crying.

"Cole, what's the matter? Huh?"

"I want Mommmeee."

"Hey," she soothed. "Calm down sweetie. Mommy's right here." Cole wasn't impressed with her statement and wailed in reply. Lois pulled the phone away from her ear and winced.

"Okay, I know. How about we sing a song. Do you want Mommy to sing, Cole?"

Lois heard his cries falter and took that for a yes.

"All right, baby. We can sing, but I need you to calm down a little bit. Can you do that for me?" She heard him whimper and smiled.

_"You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you. You'd be like heaven to touch. I want to hold you so much. At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive. You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you. I love you baby, and if it's quite all right, I need you baby, to warm the lonely, night…"_

**

* * *

**

"That was great," Clark whispered into the phone as he laid the sleeping child into the crib. "I didn't know you could sing."

"That wasn't for your ears, O Master Eavesdropper," Lois snarked back.

Clark laughed and stepped out of the room. "Hey, your audience fell asleep. I figured it was only polite to make sure someone gave you a compliment."

"That was a compliment?"

"I was getting to it." Clark smiled and headed down the stairs.

"Well, I'm sorry I interrupted. Go ahead."

"I think I'll save it for when I see you tomorrow."

Clark's parents were sitting at the kitchen table talking when he walked into the room smiling into the phone. They glanced at one another and continued to watch him carry out his conversation.

"Whatever, Smallville. There's no reason to rush back…"

"Actually there is. You see, the woman that I love…"

"Don't start, Kent."

"All right! There's just one thing I want to say," Clark said, continuing quickly so she wouldn't have a chance to deter him. "I love you."

Clark smiled as the phone clicked in reply. Looking up, he noticed his parents for the first time. "She hung up on me," he explained sheepishly.

"And you're laughing about that?" Martha asked.

Jonathan reached to rub his jaw in an attempt to cover the grin that was crossing his face. "Did you just say that you loved her?"

Clark shrugged and went to pour himself a glass of lemonade. "I'm getting under her skin."

Because heaven knew she was getting under his.

**

* * *

**_

* * *

__tbc_


	19. Detente

**Chp 19 - Detente**

* * *

_

* * *

_

_-- Metropolis – September 2010 --_

Clark sat tapping the table surface restlessly. They had been ushered to a non-descript room when they had arrived at FBI Headquarters that morning. He glanced over at Lois, where she sat contently sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup. He knew that she was anything but calm, but her sweet smile had beguiled the young secretary who had greeted them.

Clark knew that this was merely the calm before the storm. She had been pretty quiet since he had gotten back from Smallville. He figured that part of the reason was the extra audience they had at the house. The other part was largely due to Lois still being a bit perturbed with him for the end of their last telephone conversation.

He had learned that there was a downside to _carpe diem_. Sure, feeling free enough to declare his feelings to Lois was a relief, but it also created a tension he hadn't prepared for.

Wearing your heart on your sleeve awakened some other emotions as well.

Clark was beginning to get a deeper understanding of the term 'muscle memory.' His body had started calling up memories of positions and touches that hadn't been repeated in years. He certainly hoped that sleepwalking would not become a new power because he had no doubt where he would end up.

Working with Lois at the Planet was starting to get harder. Every so often, he found himself leaning over her shoulder to check something on her screen, or she would perch on the edge of his desk while explaining something to him. They had started to fall into a comfortable familiarity, but something deep inside him ached for more.

While they had shared living space during his senior year in high school, the walls of Lois's apartment created a much more intimate setting. There were a few things he had learned over the past few weeks: he had an iron will that was starting to turn into silly putty, and cold showers were ineffective.

Clark's gaze shifted away from Lois's mouth when he realized he'd been staring, and he reached to adjust his tie.

Lois set her cup on the table as the door opened.

"Grayson," she said, addressing the man as he entered the room, followed by a younger man and a woman. "Who has to get shot in order for the bugs to get taken out of my apartment?"

**

* * *

**

"We feel it would be best to leave the surveillance in tact. If we go along with your request and take it off, we can't guarantee your safety," said Agent Cortez, the female agent.

Lois smirked and thoughtfully pressed a finger against her lips. "Somehow, I get the feeling that your surveillance _is_ the threat to my safety."

"We assure you that isn't the case," Agent Richards, the second male agent, replied. "We work under the top security standards. I know that you think we have leaks, but that is highly unlikely. Unlike in the newspaper industry, our people understand the importance of confidentiality."

"I suppose you have a bridge in New York that I can buy along with that load of crap," Lois retorted. "You know as well as I do that the Feds squeal just as much as anyone else. Don't forget that Deep Throat was one of your guys."

Agent Grayson realized how important Lois Lane's cooperation was to his case. She had surprised them all with her knowledge of the bugs in her apartment. After learning about how she had gotten herself back to the US, he came to the understanding that she was a force to be reckoned with. He knew that if the agency didn't work out a compromise, Lois would go out on her own – and that would mean trouble.

"Okay," Grayson declared. "We'll cut the surveillance." He shook his head when his two colleagues started to protest. "She'll just find a way to disarm them anyway. Isn't that right, Miss Lane?"

Lois arched an eyebrow in reply.

"And what about him?" Grayson asked, using his head to indicate Clark, who was standing outside the door fielding a call from Perry. "Is your husband okay with this?"

"He is," Lois answered. Well, she thought, he will be.

"If you expect us to keep our end of the bargain, we'll need full cooperation," Grayson warned. "That means you call us with everything, and run your moves by us before you make them, got it?"

Lois held out a hand. "That means no wires, no taps, no bugs. Call off your hounds and you've got yourself a deal."

Grayson reached to shake her hand. "We'll talk again soon."

Lois rose from the table and walked to the door.

When the door closed behind her, Cortez turned to her superior. "Do you really think she'll fully cooperate?"

"No," Grayson answered, watching Lois pull her frowning husband toward the exit.

"Then why did you agree to pull surveillance?"

"Lane's setting herself up as bait to lure the major players out from hiding. I'm willing to cut some corners to get what we need."

But not all of them, he amended to himself. Not all of them.

**

* * *

**

"I can't believe you did that!" Clark exclaimed, following Lois into the elevator.

Lois rolled her eyes and sighed. They had gone over this conversation numerously during the ride to the Planet.

"If I'm going to draw out the bad guys here, I can't have Big Brother scaring them away," she explained.

"You're putting yourself in danger _again_! I don't know how you convinced them to do this. Don't you think I would have had something to say about it?" Clark ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Lois waved a hand at his anxiety, and stepped through the elevator doors as they opened. "Hey, I'm looking out for your secret too, you know."

Clark glared at her back and rushed to walk next to her. "Why didn't you tell me that you were planning on putting your life on the line?" he asked in a lowered voice.

"Because it's my life, Clark. I can do what I want, when I want to." She turned away from him and lowered herself into her chair, dropping her bag into the bottom drawer of her desk.

Clark tried to calm himself as he crossed the aisle to his desk. He had pulled his chair halfway out when his temper flared. Slamming the chair back into the desk, he turned and walked toward the stairwell with a brisk pace.

Lois released a breath and tucked her hair behind her ear. She would deal with him later.

"You could cut the guy a break, you know."

Lois looked up as Cat slid into the visitor's chair.

"Hey, Cat," Lois greeted, as she pulled a folder from her In-Box. "What's up?"

Cat laughed. "What's up? I think that it's your guard that's up."

Lois flicked her eyes to Cat and then to her computer screen. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Sure you don't. You know, I never understood before why you wouldn't give any of my guys the time of day. I mean, even when I hooked you up with a billionaire, you still found a way to turn him off."

"I didn't turn him off," Lois replied. "Bruce and I decided that we should stick to friendship."

"According to you. I think he might have something different to say about that."

When Lois didn't respond, Cat continued. "Anyway, I was saying that I didn't understand the whole Ice Queen act until now. That is, until tall, dark, handsome, and organic walked in. You never talked about Cole's father. Why is that?"

Lois started typing on her keyboard, studiously ignoring her friend.

"Let me guess, you really don't want to talk about this right now." Cat placed her elbow on the desk and braced her chin in her hand. "That's okay. I'll talk, you listen."

Cat smirked. "I can tell he cares about you a great deal. I don't know what happened between the two of you that left you alone and pregnant, and him on the other side of the world, but the way I see it, you both are getting a second chance. I could see that he was suffering while you were gone. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't fallen all over himself to tell you that he's in love with you."

Lois's jaw stiffened but she remained silent.

Cat saw the subtle change to Lois's expression. "Oh man. He already has, hasn't he?" She laughed. "And you are probably giving him hell for it, aren't you?"

Lois reached for her mouse and called up a file with a few clicks.

"Damn, Lois. No wonder he just pulled a Jekyll and Hyde and hightailed it out of here. I can tell you have some unrequited feelings toward him somewhere in there. I've seen the way you look at him when you think no one is looking."

Lois turned to face her with a protest on her lips, but Cat cut her off. "Nope. I'm doing the talking remember? Hey, it's my job to read between the lines," she quipped. "I've been watching the two of you to make sure that you don't blow the cover on this holy matrimony charade- but it seems to me that you don't need my help in that area. Am I right?"

Lois glared at her. "Do you want me to answer that?"

"No," Cat chuckled. "I threw that out more for your reflection than anything else. You're still just listening."

Lois fought the urge to smile at her friend. "Don't you have some gossip to chase or something?"

"Yes, in fact I do," Cat retorted, holding her hands up to inspect her nails. "I have a spa appointment that I need to get to. The Blue Diamond Ball is tonight, but you already knew that, seeing as you turned down your invitation."

"I'm busy."

"Um hmmm," Cat murmured. She sighed. "You're my best friend, Lois. And I hate seeing you do this to yourself. You need to let someone in. Clark Kent just might be the one."

When Lois scoffed, Cat held up a hand. "No, I get it. You want to finish this story and do your part to save the day. That's fine. I've always admired that about you – putting everyone and everything else ahead of yourself. Maybe it is time to change all that. I don't know what happened with you and Clark right before you walked in, but I think you should apologize."

"What makes you think that _I_ did something?" Lois asked, her jaw dropping open.

"Just a hunch." Cat smiled and stood, stopping to stretch languorously. "Now, it's time to get my feet rubbed. Think about it, okay? What happens if he's gone by the time you're ready to admit how you really feel?"

Lois watched Cat leave and turned back to her computer. After a few minutes of being unable to focus on the words in front of her, she got up and walked to the stairwell.

**

* * *

**

"I remember the first time we were up here," Lois remarked, stepping through the door to the roof. "Well, actually, I don't remember. Our descent rendered me unconscious."

She took in the unyielding posture Clark had as he faced away from her, staring out at the Metropolis skyline.

"Clark, listen, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry the meeting went like that."

Clark stiffened and turned to face her. "Lois, what happened to the team? We're in this together, remember?"

Lois frowned but maintained her composure. "I'm not used to having to clear my decisions with another person. I've always been the one calling the shots."

Clark sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore, Lois. I mean, just when I think I understand you, things go in a tailspin, and I…" he faltered.

When he didn't continue right away, Lois crossed her arms across her chest. The position seemed to be more for comfort than defense. "What do you mean?"

Clark seemed to be having trouble finding the words to explain. "Everything in me wants to whisk you away from all of this," he said, gesturing at the air around him with an arm. "You frustrate the hell out of me in more ways than one, and you have no idea how incredible you are."

He growled and ran a hand through his hair. "It's like that cabinet you had built for your awards. They are a testament to your hard work- your greatness- and you keep them hidden away. I know they mean a lot to you, because you went through the trouble of creating recessed lighting, and lining it with complimentary colors… You always keep the things most important to you hidden from public access. Like your heart."

Lois turned to study the skyline, as Clark had been doing when she arrived.

"I've been up here thinking about it… and maybe I was wrong to tell you how I feel. I didn't mean to pressure you, but I think I did anyway. I should have caught the signals that you weren't ready." Clark took a step closer and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I just need to know… do you want me to leave? Do you want to do this alone?"

Lois's eyes fluttered shut. The silence between them seemed to last forever. "I don't want you to leave," Lois muttered, her voice barely over a whisper. "I never did."

When she turned around, Clark read a mixture of hurt and defiance in her eyes.

"I looked for you," she stated flatly.

"I know," he replied, guiltily. Clark was unsure of what else to say.

"You didn't look for me."

Clark winced.

"When I was eight, I was having a rough time. I had just started to understand that my mother wasn't coming back. My dad accepted his first overseas assignment since she'd died, and we were leaving everything- our house, my friends, my school… Lucy. I've never been good at sharing people, because I've learned that you only get them for a little while. It's hard to let go."

Lois rubbed her arms against the breeze. "When I realized that you weren't coming back, I knew that I had been wrong for ever hoping that you would. We come from two different worlds, literally- and I'm not saying that to be mean- because you are the most amazing _man_ I have ever known. It's just… you have so much more to offer to the world, and I can't be the one holding you back."

"You're not holding me back, Lois," Clark corrected as he stepped closer. "Who I am and what I can do means nothing without you, because I lov…"

"You don't know that! We are two completely different people from who we were back then. You keep saying that Clark, but you have no idea who I am now."

Clark knew that she was right, but didn't want to admit it. "It was a mistake to not keep in contact with you. I know that now. I was just… following some stupid dead end." He reached out and took her shoulders in his hands. "And even though we haven't seen one another, and I may not know you as well as I'd like to, I really like the woman you have become. And I really like how I feel when I'm with you… How do you feel?"

"I think…"

Clark shook his head. "No, not what you think. How you feel."

Lois was quiet for a moment. She stepped out of his reach and tucked a few wind-blown strands of hair behind her ears. "Scared," she answered, honestly. "I know that you think I signed a death warrant when I cut this deal with the Feds, but there is no way that they'll pull 100 of their surveillance off. I'm just hoping that making them go extra covert will lessen the chances that they get me killed. I'm going to be the bait being used to smoke these perps out one way or another- at least this way, it will be on my own terms. So, bottom line is that I'm scared."

She sighed. "Scared about people using me for target practice. Scared about keeping my son from danger. Scared of failing… Scared of what I'm starting to feel for you."

Clark's shoulders relaxed a bit. They were finally getting somewhere. "Why?"

"The more you're around, the more I find myself counting on you… needing you. I don't do needy. I can't be what you deserve."

"I've never asked for more than what you can give."

Tears sprang to her eyes and she turned away from him. Clark stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, ducking his head so he could speak quietly into her ear.

"We are a team, and this time, we'll do it your way. If we are going to smoke out some bad guys, then we'd better go and start some fires."

* * *

_

* * *

_

_tbc_


	20. Veritas

**Chp 20 – Veritas**

**

* * *

**_

* * *

_

_-- Metropolis – September 2010 --_

"How was your flight?" Lois asked, straightening as she saw Clark exit the airport terminal. She had been leaning against her car waiting for him to arrive.

"Long," he replied, lowering his small bag to the ground.

Lois hesitated briefly before stepping closer so they could share an embrace. Leaning in, she awkwardly placed a soft kiss near the corner of his mouth. She stepped back and Clark picked his bag up and walked to the car's passenger side.

"Still got the tail, huh?" he asked, as Lois signaled her merger into passing traffic. He knew the greeting had been cover. Not that he minded, though.

"Brown coupe, six cars back," she affirmed.

It had taken them a few days to figure out who their trailing agent would be. Lois had been right to assume that the FBI wouldn't get rid of all their surveillance devices. The agent had been using different cars every few days, but they had finally been able to decipher the pattern.

They had decided not to make the FBI aware of the fact that they knew they were being followed. Lois figured that as long as they played dumb, they could stay a few steps ahead.

Clark was returning from a two-day survey trip to the Congo. On the record, he had gone there to do a follow-up to his previous articles on the Katanga secession. Off the record, Lois had drawn him a crude map to the place where she had buried the gun she'd taken from the smugglers' plane.

"Did you have any trouble getting it?" Lois asked.

"No. I only brought back the important parts, and they made it through customs with no problem." Clark had dismantled the gun, and had only kept the parts that would help them locate the manufacturer.

"All right, let's get these over to S.T.A.R. Labs and then we'll hit the Planet to put write up the articles."

"Lois, I was wondering if we could have dinner tonight."

Lois looked at him before returning her attention to the road. "We have dinner together every night, Smallville. Lunch, too, in fact."

"Yeah, but we're always working with those. I mean a real dinner- at a restaurant, with wine glasses, and maybe dessert."

"You asking me on a date?"

"If your answer is yes."

"A date, date? Like when I put on my best perfume and dab some behind my knee, even though I don't know why?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he replied.

"Well… I don't know… I mean- I need to think about it."

"I'm asking you to dinner, Lois. Not for your hand in marriage."

"Yeah," she sighed, sarcastically. "Because you seemed to have forgot to ask for _that_."

Clark laughed. "So- dinner, how about it?"

Lois glanced at the dashboard clock. It was already 2:00 pm and they needed to get to the Planet to get some work done. "On our way home from the Planet tonight, we can eat at a restaurant… with wine glasses _and_ dessert."

**

* * *

**

Perry tapped his jaw thoughtfully, reading through the article one last time. Lois was really laying it all on the line with this one. The piece described the atrocious conditions that people in the Congo were living under. The greatest portion of the article described how gunrunners from more affluent countries were benefiting by empowering rebel groups. Lois had gone on to talk about the impact on the villages and, most importantly, on the children of the war torn nations.

She was powerful with words and subtlety, so no one would have been able to guess that she had spent close to a year and a half living in the land that was her topic, but she had inserted plenty of hints for her intended audience to pick up on. The bait was on the hook.

Perry pressed his lips together, worriedly. "You sure about this?"

He held the article toward her, offering her a chance to take it back.

Lois turned her head to look at Clark. When he nodded, she smiled. "We're sure."

Perry looked at both of them for a long moment. "Jimmy!"

The young man stuck his head inside the office door. "Yeah, Chief?"

"I need you to hand walk this down to Layout. I want it front page, below the fold, for the evening edition. It goes above the fold tomorrow, got it?"

"Sure, but why not just email it in with the edits already done?" Jimmy asked, noting the red marks on the document.

"They can find Lane's original document on the network. I do my redlining by hand. News is made to be touched and felt! These fancy computers may make the world go faster…" He focused a hard stare on Clark as he continued. "…But some things are just better when you take your time."

Clark quickly nodded. He understood the fatherly warning behind his Perry's words.

**

* * *

**

"You didn't order dessert," Clark remarked, as the waiter left with his Chocolate Mousse order.

Lois sat back in her chair and placed a hand on her stomach. "I'm full." She gestured at the leftover fajitas that were in the center of the table. "We should probably have that boxed up to take home. I bet it's like pizza: better the morning after."

Clark smiled. He was happy that they were able to have a relaxing dinner. Lois had opened up to him more and more over the past few days, but he felt that tonight had been a breaking point. They had spent the evening joking and talking about their lives during the time they'd been apart.

It was a welcome distraction from the stress of FBI agents (even though one was no doubt watching them right at that moment), smugglers, and snipers.

The waiter returned and deposited a silver bowl on the table in front of Clark.

Clark thanked the man and raised his spoon. "You sure you don't want to try it?"

Lois eyed the dish with interest but shook her head.

"I know you have a thing for chocolate…"

Lois picked up her wine glass and swirled the red liquid before bringing the glass to her lips. "True," she acknowledged around the lip of the glass, with a seductive smile. "But I'm trying to keep it in check."

Clark started eating the dessert. "This is the best I've had since Verona. Here, try some."

He scooped some onto his spoon, and held it out to her. Instead of reaching for it, she closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Clark swallowed hard as he moved the spoon to her mouth. He slid it out and watched as she licked her lips.

"Hmm," she sighed. "I have no control."

Clark reached across the small table and put a hand over hers. "I doubt that's true."

"What time are you heading out tonight?" As had become their pattern on Fridays, Clark would head to Smallville for the night to check in with his parents and Cole.

"In an hour or two, I guess."

"Hey, lucky I found you!" Bobby Big Mouth strolled up to their patio table. He pulled a chair from a nearby table, and sat down. "Fajitas!"

He laid a tortilla on his palm and began scooping meat, sautéed onions and peppers, and toppings onto it. He took a large bite and started talking. "Kind of fancy digs for a couple of Newsies, don't ya think?"

He reached for Clark's glass and emptied the rest of the wine into it. Clark was about to protest, but was distracted when Lois moved her hand on top of his and began idly stroking the back of it.

Lois fixed their guest with a soft glare. "We're on a date, Bobby."

"A date! You're married for crying out loud. What's the point? Isn't that kind of like crawling after you walk?" Bobby reached for the remaining dessert and pulled it to him.

"So what brings you out here?" Lois asked.

"Just warning my best client." Bobby licked his fingers and reached for Lois's napkin when she held it toward him. "I don't know what you did, but over the last two hours, your name has become the hottest ticket in Mayberry."

She glanced at Clark. Her article was starting to have its effect.

"I just wanted to make sure you were watching your back."

Lois released Clark's hand to lean forward. "Any certain group leading the pack?"

"Ah- some Intergang wannabes. They're too loose to be the real deal, but I wouldn't put it past the Boss to put them out as feelers." Bobby downed the rest of the wine in his glass. "Nice pick," he told Clark.

Bobby jumped from the chair. "This one's a freebie, but next time see if you can bring me a Hogie. Authentic Philly style are the best."

When Bobby left the patio, Lois faced Clark. "I know what you're thinking," she announced, arching an eyebrow at him.

"You're telepathic now?"

"I might as well be when it comes to you," she returned. "I know that look."

Clark merely raised his hands and shrugged.

"You're not staying. You'll go to Smallville as planned, and everything will be fine."

He pressed his lips together.

Lois knew that look as well. "You'll be back in less than 24 hours! What damage could I do overnight? Don't answer that."

Lois stood up. "I'm going to go the bathroom, and then we can continue to argue if you want. But just a warning- I'll win."

Clark watched her leave and pulled out his cell phone. He had learned from previous experience that Lois ended up with the last word. This time he had planned in advance. He had called for reinforcements.

**

* * *

**

Lois smirked as she unlocked the door to her apartment. He had put up a good fight, but in the end she'd come out on top. Her jaw dropped open as she stepped through the door. With a squeal, she ran and wrapped her arms around her cousin.

"Chloe! I didn't think I'd get to see you until after your Gotham assignment!"

Chloe laughed and gripped Lois tighter. They had talked on the phone, but hadn't yet had a chance to see one another face to face.

"How…" Lois frowned as she pulled back. "When…?"

"It seems that your husband knows you better than you think he does," Chloe teased.

"Oh, don't even go there," Lois quipped, grudgingly acknowledging that Clark had gotten her this time. "It's a disguise. There is nothing going on here."

"Really?" Chloe picked up the picture of Cole from the coffee table.

Lois shifted her weight to her right foot and sighed. "Chloe, listen…"

"He's beautiful."

"Thanks." Lois walked to the couch and held out a hand. "Care to sit down?"

"That's probably a good idea."

Lois watched as Chloe replaced the picture and lowered herself to sit on the couch. Sitting beside her, Lois's emotions were torn between the great joy of seeing her cousin, and the awkward guilt of her current circumstances.

"I guess that the secret was living with him," Chloe commented.

"The secret?"

"To winning Clark Kent's affection. Wish I had known that before. It would have saved my adolescent heart from a few kicks."

Lois reached to tuck her hair behind her ear. "It's not like that, Chloe. It just… kind of happened."

"You didn't see it, did you?"

Lois frowned. "See what?"

"Foreplay."

"What?"

"All the bickering and the fighting. You were headed toward this even back then, in Smallville. Why didn't you say anything?"

"There was nothing to say!" Lois protested. She frowned as Chloe burst into laughter. "Wait, you're not mad?"

"Mad? Of course not. I was hurt at first, but that was because you didn't tell me. I guess I was just in denial back then, because I could see something between you guys from the beginning."

"The beginning?" Lois was reluctantly intrigued.

Chloe scoffed at the doubt in Lois's expression. "Are you going to tell me that I'm wrong?" she challenged.

Lois was silent for a moment, warily eying her cousin. Finally, she decided it was time to be honest with her. Because, maybe then, she could start being honest with herself.

"Okay. You're sort of right. There was a spark, early on. A small one."

Chloe laughed and shook her head. "A spark?"

"Yes! I mean, the whole Highlander effect when I found him in the cornfield was pretty powerful. And, I tried not to look…" Lois's eyebrow rose, and her lips curled as she remembered. "But when I found out who he was, and what that meant to you… well, that was that."

Chloe smirked. "And then…"

Lois sighed and rolled her eyes. "And then the General decided to strong arm my life, and I moved in with the Kents… The boy was ga-ga over Lana, and our interaction was mostly sibling rivalry."

"Without the sibling part, which makes it more like fore…"

"No," Lois interrupted. "We became good friends, even though neither of us would admit it." There were some details that Lois couldn't reveal. "And after the whole Lana thing started to die out, there might have been some mutual… flirting. But nothing bordering on serious."

Chloe tilted her head, thoughtfully. "I always thought Clark might have had some help getting over that obsession. He had never acted so free until you came around. I knew you had that effect on me, but with Clark, it was like a total identity change."

"I never could stand a mopey cowboy," Lois quipped.

"And the meeting in Cuba?"

"Was unexpected," Lois finished. "I was caught off guard, and I guess the spark, um, ignited."

"And where is that spark now?"

"I don't know, Chlo." Lois sighed and rose from the couch, walking toward her bookcase. "I already have a man in my life, and he's the most important, and the best thing I have ever done." She was gazing at a picture of Cole. "I don't want to be in love. Love makes you weak… and vulnerable."

"It can also make you stronger," Chloe offered, studying Lois's profile for a moment. "Lo, both of us have been longing for a true family for as long as we can remember. Now that it's right in front of you, all you have to do is reach out and take it."

Lois turned back to face her cousin. "It's not that easy, Chloe."

"I know. But maybe it's worth it."

Lois clasped her hands together and changed her expression to reveal a bright smile. "And what about you? How is Vickie Vale managing the tough streets of Gotham City?"

Chloe was well versed in the art of subject change, but decided to let it slide. They would have another chance to talk. "Vickie Vale is knocking 'em dead."

"I knew you would! Like riding a bike, right?"

"Absolutely. I've run into a snag, though. The elusive resident billionaire has a thing against reporters."

Lois winced inwardly. She had an inkling of an idea why. "You mean Bruce Wayne?"

"Yeah. That's actually why I can't stay the whole weekend. Wayne Enterprises is throwing a huge gig tomorrow night, and I need to see if I can get him in a corner."

"Maybe I could make a call for you…"

Chloe smiled. It was funny how things had changed. Now Lois was the one with the connections, and she was the one calling in favors. "You know Bruce Wayne?"

"Yes." Lois decided that she would leave it at that. "I'm sure he'll be a little easier to approach tomorrow."

Chloe knew she would have to get the background on that story later.

"I, uh, was able to reach your dad. He hadn't known that you were missing, but he said that he was glad you were safe." Chloe had embellished a bit on what the General actually had to say.

Lois saw through her fib and shook her head, smirking.

"What happened between you two?" Chloe asked.

"We both finally crossed the line we've been dancing around for years."

**

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tbc_


	21. Titans

**Chp 21 – Titans**

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**

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**

_-- Metropolis, November 2006 -- _

Lois groaned as the pounding on the door to her apartment continued.

"Argh! I'm coming," she muttered. She quickly swished half a capful of Listerine around her mouth and spat it into the sink. Wiping her hands on a towel, she slowly made her way to the door.

"You could have at least called first," she said, once the door was opened.

"Cut the crap, Lo, and let me in."

Lois closed her eyes and stepped to the side. When her father passed her, she pushed the door shut.

Sam Lane spun to face his daughter. "When I sent the message to you about going to Edinburgh to retrieve Lucy, it was not a request."

Lois returned his hard stare. "I can't do it right now." She inhaled a sharp breath and walked past him toward the kitchen. "Lucy can handle herself."

The General's eyes narrowed and he turned to follow her. When he entered the kitchen, he found her leaning heavily against one of the counters nibbling on a saltine cracker. Taking in her appearance and her meal selection, Sam had an idea of what was going on.

He stalked over and picked up the sleeve of crackers that had been sitting on the counter in front of her. "Suffering from a pretty heavy night, huh, Lois?"

"It's not quite what you think." Lois ran a hand through her hair, subtlety swiping at the beads of perspiration that had begun to pop out on her forehead. Her abdomen was beginning to tighten again. "My doctor says I shouldn't travel for a while."

"Your doctor?" Sam threw the crackers down in disgust. "You went to a doctor for a hangover? It's pretty selfish of you to put your lax lifestyle over your sister."

Lois worked to use her breathing to fight off her body's current turmoil. There was this theory out there that truth was like a band-aid. It hurt less when you ripped it off in one swoop- it took less time, and the pain didn't last as long. She decided to give it the old college try. "It's not a hangover. I'm pregnant."

Sam was silent for a long moment. "You're what?"

Lois sighed. She was going to have to revisit the band-aid theory. "Going to have a baby."

Sam reached over and took her arm, feeling the spot on the inner arm near the armpit where the birth control implant had been placed. It was still there. Lois pulled away angrily and glared at him.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Lois asked.

"You reversed the implant. That was a dumb thing to do. Trying to rebel against me, and you end up giving yourself a life sentence."

"I didn't have it reversed! Maybe your stuff is just crap." Lois felt a flash of pain but refused to let it show. She had never shown the General any sign of weakness, and she wasn't about to start now.

Sam frowned. That was impossible. There was only one known way to negate the effects of the drug, and few were privy to that information. He pulled out his phone. "You need to get tested. We need to know what caused that implant to fail."

Lois's eyes widened briefly as she quickly realized that it might have something to do with Clark. Her features were schooled by the time her father looked up.

"No!" Lois demanded, the force in her voice causing Sam to pause in dialing. "I refuse to let you make me one of your special projects. You're not going to have me poked and prodded just to ease your mind about those damn implants. They need to be scrapped anyway- a six-year birth control device is unethical, and you know it. If I had known better at 16 I wouldn't have let you do it in the first place."

"You had no choice."

Lois met her father's glare. "I always have a choice."

"You just never seem to make the right ones, do you? Well, I'm going to help you out in that area. You're getting married."

"Like hell, I am," she retorted.

"You don't even know who it is, do you?" Sam slammed his hand onto the counter surface. "Getting that implant was not license for you to go out and spread eagle for every damn flier that knocked, like some 10 cent floozy! I raised you better than that."

Lois stiffened. Before Clark, she'd only had one other intimate encounter. She had been on her way to the Prom with a boy she thought she loved. Unfortunately, she and her date hadn't ditched their escort as she had thought. Since her father had gotten the report about that incident, he'd assumed that she was loose.

"You think so, huh?" Lois returned, offended. "For you to have taught me anything, you would have had to have been there. As far as I'm concerned, me and Luce have been orphans since the day Mom died."

She saw the General flinch, and knew she had said more than she should have. It wasn't entirely true, but she had gone to far to back up now.

Lois and Sam were cut from the same stubborn cloth, so although wounded from Lois's harsh declaration, he counter-attacked. "If you can't filter through your list of bed buddies to come up with a name, I'll do it for you."

Lois was so irate that she momentarily forgot about the cramping in her stomach. "This is not the fricking 15th century! I don't need a husband to raise a child right! Hell, I raised yours!"

What Sam really wanted to say was that it was better for a child to be in a home with two parents. He had learned from experience that the absence of a parent caused the children to suffer. He had seen it with his girls. He was still seeing it. There were many times that he regretted not remarrying.

Being a professionally stiff man hindered his ability to express those thoughts. Instead, he reverted to his natural tendency to give orders and expect them to be carried out. Lois has always been a challenge to him in that area.

"You will get married or you won't get any support from me. How do you expect to provide for a child when you can't even take care of yourself? You're not even out of school yet, and _I'm_ the one paying the tuition."

"Take your damn money." Lois reached to cover her midsection as another cramp began building. The action was unconsciously maternal. "We'll manage."

Sam was incensed. "You might think about being a better role model for your sister. With the way you're acting, it's no wonder that she's suddenly gone trip wire. If anything happens to her, its on you, Lois."

Suddenly? Lois thought to herself. Lucy had been out of line far longer that the General was aware. Lois had been the one taking care of all that so he wouldn't have to. How could she even consider being a role model when she had been everything else: sister, mother, teacher… parole officer.

The pain of the cramp intensified and Lois thought she tasted bile in the back of her throat. She was done with this argument.

"You should leave," she told him, walking to the front door and opening it.

"If your mother…"

"Do not bring her into this!" Lois yelled, angrily. "You don't get to do that with me."

Sam had also had enough. "You call me in 96 hours with a name, or you don't call me at all, got that?" It is his final attempt at tough love.

"Sir, yes sir!"

As Lois slammed the door shut behind him, the anger-infused adrenaline that had kept her intact dissipated. On wobbly legs, she made her way back to the bathroom, quickly depositing her head in the center of the porcelain halo of the toilet seat. She promptly lost the one cracker she'd been able to down, accompanied by what had to be the lining of her stomach.

As she sunk onto the floor, emotionally and physically drained, her only thoughts were about the welcome coolness of the bathroom floor tile.

_

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_tbc_


	22. Hermia

**Chp 22 – Hermia**

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_-- Smallville, September 2010 --_

Clark smiled as Cole was whisked out of his arms by one of his mother's waitresses. The little boy certainly had a reputation at the Talon.

He had come to pick up his mother from work, but she hadn't returned from a meeting with a supplier yet. Clark shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against a pillar.

He smiled to himself as he thought about the phone call he'd received from Lois the night before. She had thanked him for having her cousin come to visit, but promised that she would get him back- when he least expected it. After that, she had sung Cole to sleep.

When Clark noticed someone coming down the stairs, his mouth fell open in astonishment. He immediately was struck with a strong feeling of déjà vu. It was Lana Lang.

Lana's eyes roamed the room as she descended, and when they met Clark's, her face broke out in a wide smile. "Clark!" she called, hurriedly walking down the rest of the steps and going over to him.

As she came closer, Clark thought about how infatuated he used to be over her during high school. Now, he couldn't imagine anyone other than Lois by his side. Back then, he would have sworn that Lana Lang was his true love- now he knew that the feelings he'd had for her then did not even scratch the surface of what he now knew real love to be.

"Lana, Hi! I had no idea that you were back in town."

Lana was a little surprised that he didn't move to hug her, and her movement into his space faltered when he didn't move from his semi-reclined position.

"Yeah, I, um, haven't been back in years… but I thought you were gone, too."

Clark nodded. "I've only been back a couple of months. So, I heard that you and Jason eloped."

Lana seemed to get uncomfortable at the name. "Not quite. We left together, but never got as far as… there was a side to him that… I found out that he was more involved with the whole Madam Theroux thing than I thought."

Clark's expression became concerned. "But you're okay right?"

Lana brightened. "Oh yes! I'm great! In Paris, I started modeling … did you see any of my covers?" When Clark sheepishly shook his head 'no,' she continued. "Well, I did that and now I'm working for one of the top magazines in the world. My agent has been trying to get me to consider doing some camera work. He thinks I'll soon be able to write my own ticket."

"That's… great, Lana. I'm happy for you."

She reached to smooth her hair. "I, uh, figured that it was time to come back to Smallville for a while. I kind of left without tying some things up… and I was hoping to get the chance to correct a few mistakes."

"Mistakes when you left? You mean like the Talon?"

Lana's eyes narrowed briefly. "Yes, the Talon is one of them." She paused, seemingly unsure of how to continue. "I came here looking for your mom. I wanted to apologize for the way I left… I saw how she's converted the upstairs into office space. I like it."

"Dad doesn't," Clark said, smiling. "He feels that it gives her more excuses to work late. But at least now kitchen table isn't covered with paperwork from the business. If you want to wait a little while, she should be back from her meeting at any time."

"Thanks. I think I will wait."

They were silent for a moment. Lana adjusted the strap of her purse more comfortably on her shoulder. "I was hoping that we would get a chance to talk… do you think we could have dinner?"

"Sorry, I can't. I'm heading to Metropolis tonight."

Lana frowned. "You're living there now?" When she saw his expression as he nodded, her heart fell. "You're living with someone. Is it serious?" She tried not to let her disappointment show.

"We're working on it," Clark answered. Internally, he wondered why it felt so odd telling Lana about Lois. He could sense that her demeanor had changed slightly with the last question. Even though he really wasn't interested in rekindling any flames, he thought that she might be- And though their lives had taken different paths, it was never his intention to cause her pain.

As he stood awkwardly trying to formulate the best way to tell her, they heard a voice calling out, "Daddee! Daddee!"

They both turned to see Cole running from the back of the shop, expertly dodging tables and customers. It was apparent that the tyke spent a lot of time here.

Lana smiled. "Oh, how cute. I wonder whose kid he is."

"Uh, actually…" Clark started, but was interrupted as Cole turned in his direction.

"Dadee! Mi-mi's here!"

Lana turned to Clark with wide eyes. "Daddy?"

Clark bent down to pick up the excited little boy. "Cole, this my friend Lana. Can you say hi?"

Cole turned to see the woman his father was talking to and frowned. "Hi," he mumbled, then kicked his legs to indicate that he wanted to be put down. "I wanna go see Mi-mi," he announced as he hit the floor.

Clark and Lana watched as he skirted around a waitress and headed back in the direction he'd come from.

Lana's mouth was slightly agape. She had noticed the ring on Clark's finger when he'd pulled his hands from his pocket to pick Cole up. She now understood that she had miscalculated. "Too little, too late," she sighed under her breath.

Clark heard the words, but wasn't sure that he was meant too. "What?"

"Oh, nothing… Congratulations! He's adorable… Cole, you said, right? Um… your wife is very lucky." Lana remembered that Chloe had relayed to her that Clark had gone continent hopping after graduation. "Probably no one that I would know, right?" she asked, lightly, hoping to cover her shock.

Clark grinned. "Ironically- you do. You were the first one to see it."

Lana's head tilted as she frowned. She tried to think about what he could possibly be referring to. After a moment, her eyes grew even wider. "Lois?"

He nodded and laughed. "Yep. Amazing, huh? We were complete opposites, but you were right. The best ones start that way."

"I bet… Listen, I, um, better get going…" she stumbled.

"No, wait," Clark interrupted. "Let me go get my mom. She'll want to see you."

Lana sighed and nodded. She was just going to need some time to come up with a different plan. When he was out of earshot, she attempted to calm the green-eyed monster that was beginning to waken. "I've come too far to not at least try. I know what should be mine, and I plan on getting it."

As he walked away, Clark heard her mutter something, but ignored it. The words didn't seem to have anything to do with him.

**

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**

"That wasn't awkward for you at all? Seeing Lana?" Jonathan asked.

"No. I'm sure that seeing Cole was a surprise for her, but that's understandable," Clark replied, pressing the top down on a plastic food container. He was bringing Lois leftovers from the dinner Martha had prepared.

"I think you should be careful, honey. Lana has become a pretty determined woman in her own right," Martha cautioned.

Clark frowned. He didn't understand what that had to do with him. "I know she has. It's what has helped her get to where she is." He noticed his parents exchange a glance. "She knows that whatever we had was in the past. There's nothing to worry about."

Martha shrugged and changed the subject. "So, you were saying that things are getting better for you and Lois…"

Clark brightened. "Yeah. I decided to lay off her a bit. I didn't realize it, but my freely expressed feelings were actually driving her away. Lois does things in her own time. She doesn't open easily- I should have remembered that from when she was living here, but I guess I was just excited."

He placed the containers into a bag for the trip to Metropolis. "I think I'm going to wait to start up the 'I love yous' again until she's ready to believe me." He was confident that his patience was starting to pay off, as Lois had been more and more forthcoming about what she had gone through over the past two years the more they worked together on the case.

"Talk about determined," Clark beamed. "Did you know that she took extra classes and worked so that she would be done with school by the time Cole was born? Her drive is incredible." Having a baby had spurred Lois to become more focused. She was a thousand times sharper than she had been before- and that was saying a lot.

"Mother's tend to be that way," Jonathan said, smiling at his wife.

Martha returned the smile and moved to kiss him.

Clark watched longingly. He wanted to be able to share such loving interactions with Lois.

Martha noticed her son's expression and smiled sympathetically. "Just give it time, sweetie."

Clark sighed. "I'm trying. It's just sometimes I don't think I can get what you guys have. Nothing seems to go the way I want it to. I have all these abilities, and yet I feel so helpless all the time."

Jonathan walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, Son."

"That's just it! I don't have to. It's already there." Clark's eyes pleaded for understanding. "I can't shake the feeling that I need to be doing something with these powers- but if I did, what chance would I ever have to live a normal life… with a family?"

Clark remembered Lois's comment on sharing people, and he didn't want to rekindle those types of fears in her. If he did, she might close off to him, completely.

"I never wanted to admit it, but the whole Sacred Stones thing was thrilling in a way. I was scared of what they might have meant for my future, but at the same time, it created this expectation inside me. I knew I was chasing potential… and even though it seemed to be more than I could handle- it was going to help me finally understand what all of the craziness of high school actually meant. Instead, the whole thing turned out to be a major let down."

Clark looked from one parent to the other. "In high school, I was able to help people. It was the one thing that made being an alien acceptable. But now, with Cole and Lois… the stakes are even higher. Remember all the times the secret almost came out? I can't risk that now."

Martha and Jonathan could see how torn he was. He wanted a purpose, but wanted to live as Clark Kent as well.

"Maybe the whole thing with the stones isn't over," Jonathan offered.

Clark shook his head doubtfully. In his mind, the stones were history.

Martha shrugged. "Honey, maybe you can still use your powers to help people and not have that be a threat to who you are." Both men looked at her unconvinced, but she pressed on. "Maybe you could wear a disguise or something. That way no one would tie it to you."

Clark frowned and straightened. He'd done the disguise thing before, when he'd run away to Metropolis one rebellious summer, high on red kryptonite. That time, he hadn't been the good guy. Those weren't memories he wanted to discuss. "I'd better go. I'll call you when I get to the apartment, okay?"

* * *

_**A/N:** In case you were wondering about the title:_

_"Now I perceive that she hath made compare  
Between our statures; she hath urged her height,  
And with her personage, her tall personage,  
Her height, forsooth, she hath prevailed with him."_

_Spoken by Hermia, jealous of the taller Helena to whom her former lover, Lysander, has switched his affections.  
-- __From Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, act 3, sc. 2, l. 290-3_

_

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_**

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**_tbc_


	23. Dealt

**Chp 23 - Dealt**

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**

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_-- Metropolis, October 2010 --_**

"So who is this Intergang boss Bobby was talking about?" Clark asked.

Lois was in her usual position, perched on the corner of his desk holding a notepad, as they discussed their next moves.

She removed the pencil from her mouth to respond. "No one knows. Intergang is a highly organized outfit that has been tied to a number of major crimes over the past 3 years. The profilers think that there is one guy at the top calling the shots, but no one has been able to figure out who it is. It's my theory that it's someone in big business who has unlimited contacts, in both underground and legit circles."

"Any ideas on who it could be?" Clark asked.

"No- Before my surprise all-expense paid vacation to the equator, I was working on breaking Intergang's cover. At first I thought it could be Luthor."

"Lex?" Clark asked. "And you don't think its him, now?"

"No. He's been doing a whole lot of publicity spin lately, so I think that the rumors about his potential presidential run are true. Any connection to Intergang would kill that aspiration instantly. The stuff Intergang gets into wouldn't fit any purpose for Lex… and he doesn't do _anything_ that doesn't give a payout." Lois arched an eyebrow. "Did you know that he claims not to have ever heard of Smallville?"

"He doesn't?"

"No. I brought it up at an interview once, and he acted as if he had no clue what I was talking about. The thing is, I'm almost convinced that he _believes_ it. When I checked the records, there is nothing that supports his ever having been there. Nothing, that is, but the memories of the people who live there."

"That doesn't make any sense," Clark said, puzzled. "If a whole town can vouch for the story, why would anyone believe otherwise?"

Lois gave him a patronizing pat on the cheek. "The town in question is Smallville. You know the place where green rocks turn people into run-of-the-mill freaks." She leaned closer, mockingly glancing around as if she had a secret to tell.

"And aliens live among humans with no one the wiser," she whispered. Her lips curled as she sat back. "To anyone not from there, it's kinda hard to believe."

Clark smiled. "You're not from there… what do you think about all that alien and freak talk?"

"What do I think?" Lois asked playfully. "I think it takes a personal encounter."

Clark leaned back in his chair. "A personal encounter?"

"Yeah." Lois shifted her expression to mock seriousness. "Like being dropped on your head by said alien."

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"I don't know. Ask me tomorrow," she sighed as she raised her arms to stretch.

Clark pulled his attention away from her arching figure. "Uh, so, do you think Lex has a chance?"

"I think he has a really good chance. And that scares me. Hopefully, we'll figure out what he's hiding before it gets close."

Clark smiled. He hadn't missed the fact that Lois was talking about future investigations… by the both of them.

"Hey, Lois, CK," Jimmy called as he approached Clark's desk. "A courier just dropped this package off for you guys."

Lois took it and ripped open the large envelope. She pulled out a folder and began flipping through the pages inside of it. "Thanks, Jim."

She pulled out a sheet and handed the rest to Clark. "Before you disappear, see what you can find on these specs," she told Jimmy, while pointing to something on the sheet.

"Sure!" Jimmy grinned, and reached for the paper, eager to please her. When he caught Clark's amused expression, he blushed. "I mean, I'm on it. Right away."

As Jimmy left, Lois turned to Clark with an arched eyebrow. "What was that little man-thing you two just did?"

Clark laughed. "He has a crush on you."

"Jimmy? No he doesn't. He's like my kid brother."

Clark returned his attention to the folder in his hands. "I bet you used to say the same thing about me…"

She fixed the top of his head with a glare. "Careful, Kent. You _can_ be replaced." She pulled the folder out of his hands. "Finished with that?"

"Yep," he answered, unfazed.

"Show-off," Lois muttered, realizing that he'd sped read it.

"Just doing my job, ma'am." Clark grinned. "So we've got Jimmy running the specs that S.T.A.R. Labs got off the gun… what do we do while we wait?"

Lois smiled. "We go see a man about a gun."

**

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**

"Thanks Jimmy," Lois said into her cell phone as Clark pulled the car into a parking spot outside of Snake's Pawn and Shop. "How soon do you think you can run a cross-reference on the stuff you found against Intergang and any big business guy you can think of."

She paused as she listened for a moment. "Tomorrow? No sooner? Okay, fax whatever you get done tonight to the house. Thanks again. Bye."

Flipping the phone closed, she turned to Clark. "Jimmy says that the ballistics on that piece we found matched some cold cases in the MPD database. We'll see if anything turns up… in the meantime, this guy, Snake, usually has seen a little bit of everything. Hopefully, he'll help point us in the right direction."

**

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**

Snake represented exactly the image that would come to mind for a pawnshop owner. Stocky with a beer belly, a patch covered his left eye, and his too-tight collared shirt was accessorized by five thick gold chains. When the bell on the door alerted him to his visitors, Snake looked up and greeted them with a wry smile.

"Lane, I thought our business was squared away. What brings you to my humble establishment? I can give you top dollar on that ring you've got there."

Lois smirked as she shot a glance at Clark. "I'll keep that in mind. Listen, I was hoping that you would be able to answer some questions for us."

She placed one of the printouts given to them from STAR labs on the counter in front of him. The sheet held a description of the weapon as well as a photo, highlighting its definitive characteristics.

Snake looked at paper. "Can't help you."

"Oh, I think you can," Lois insisted. "See, MPD is at a standstill as far as these things are concerned, so I'm sure they'll be ecstatic when they find out that my sources say that a few of these guns have come through here. MPD would run with that- pull your record, investigate your clients, search your shop… what do you think?"

Snake thought about that for a moment, before taking another look at the paper. "Yeah," he admitted, grudgingly. "I've seen some like that before."

Lois smiled. "Where do they come from?"

"How do I know where they're from? I work in a barter business. Things come in, things go out." Snake gestured at the items in the store. "Could be some guys off the street for all I know."

"Uncle Sam requires that you keep records of all transactions for weaponry. You know that as well as I do, Snake. "She tapped the counter. "I don't suppose you could pull out your records box and get a name for me…" Lois knew from previous experience that Snake kept gun records separate from his other business filings.

Snake's gaze flicked from Lois to Clark. Spitting a sunflower seed shell into a paper up, he snorted, and bent down to retrieve a black lock box from under the counter. Flipping through the contents, he pulled out a card and began copying the information onto a blank sheet of paper.

"I could show you a nice Beretta, if you're looking. Why are you so interested in this type of machinery anyway?" Snake asked, handing the paper to her.

Lois glanced at it and arched an eyebrow. "Because someone is smuggling guns like this one into Africa, and I plan on putting a stop to it."

Clark stiffened at the announcement. Even knowing before hand that she was planning on using that revelation didn't lessen his anxiety about it. He noticed Snake's subtle reaction to her declaration as well.

"I see," Snake said. "Well, good luck with that."

Lois pulled Clark toward the door. "Thanks for the help."

They exited the store and walked toward the car. When they were inside, she turned to Clark. "What's he doing?"

Clark's eyes were unfocused as he concentrated on listening to what was happening inside the shop. "He's… on the phone. It must be a direct line because I only head him press one button."

"What is he saying?"

"He just said, 'Lane just left,' and hung up."

Lois sighed as she turned the key to start the ignition. "Okay. Now it's their move."

**

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**

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_tbc_


	24. Flare

**Chp 24 – Flare**

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__-- Metropolis – October 2010 --_

Lois awoke with a start. In the darkness of her room, she smiled. She'd just had an epiphany.

Pulling back the covers, she jumped from her bed. She needed to share this information with Clark.

She yelped as she tripped over something on her floor, and fell onto the chest of Clark Kent. "Oof," she grunted. "Smallville! What are you doing on the floor?"

Clark blinked. "Um… sleeping."

"I can see that, but why are you on the floor?"

"The couch wasn't really all that comfortable. It's a little small," he explained, sheepishly.

Lois's brows rose. "Did it suddenly shrink or something? And why are you in _my_ room?"

He ignored her first question. "I was just coming to check on you earlier… and then I decided to stay."

"Um… Clark…"

He started to blush. "Sorry, it's kind of an… involuntary reaction…"

"Involuntar… Oh! Okay." Lois moved to get off of him, inadvertently causing more of her body to rub against his.

The muscles in Clark's jaw tightened as he fought the urge to groan.

"You know what I could use right now?" Lois asked, brightly, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Some tea. Some nice warm, soothing… and relaxing… tea. You want some?" She darted out of the door without waiting for him to answer.

Clark dropped his head back onto his pillow and took in a deep breath. When he felt composed, he got up from the floor and followed her into the kitchen.

When he arrived, he found her busily pouring liquid into two mugs.

She spoke to him without turning to face him. "I got this from your mom. Tea at night…or warm milk… never coffee, because you don't want the jitters. Tea. Comforting, calming, peaceful, serene, non-irritating, non-stimulating..."

Clark smiled as he wondered if she was trying to purposely sound like a thesaurus. "Tranquil," he offered, as she set one of the mugs on the counter and walked to the other side, to keep it between them.

"Tranquil," she repeated. "Soothing."

"You said that one. What woke you up?"

"Oh! I know who it is."

Clark frowned. "Who?"

"The Boss!" she exclaimed.

Earlier that night, they had been going through the preliminary information from Jimmy's searches, but hadn't been able to come up with any concrete leads. Lois's mind had been active even while she slept, and somehow, when she was unconscious, it had all come together.

"Bill Church, Sr.," she added.

"The Sav-Mart guy? How do you know?"

Lois brushed the hair off of her forehead. "I can't explain it. I just know it. I bet tomorrow when we get the rest of Jimmy's stuff, it will prove it."

Clark shrugged, and decided to accept her word for it. There was nothing more they could do about it until morning anyway.

They finished their tea in silence and headed back toward her bedroom. Clark needed to retrieve his pillow before heading to the couch.

As he bent down to get it, Lois eyed him suspiciously. "The couch is that bad, huh?"

"Only when I'm not floating over it."

The answer got a smirk from her. She had never tried sleeping on the thing herself. "Are you floating tonight?"

Clark shook his head. "The floor out there will be just fine."

"That's stupid," Lois said. "I've got a big bed- we can both sleep here."

Clark's eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline. Lois noticed and rolled her eyes. "I said _sleep_."

He swallowed, clutching his pillow tightly. "You sure?… because the couch really isn't…"

"Yes, for crying out loud," Lois insisted, although she wasn't as confident as she let on. "You get your side. I get mine."

To make her point hit home, she walked to the bed and got under the covers, placing her large body pillow in the center. "And since you're immune, you can sleep on top of the sheets. Get the light, would you?" she asked, as she turned her back to the middle of the bed, closed her eyes, and snuggled into her pillow.

I'm not immune to everything, Clark thought to himself as he reached for the light switch.

He crept to the opposite side of the bed and lay down. Staring at the ceiling, he almost wished for the uncomfortable couch as he tried to lay as still as possible.

"Night, Smallville," Lois muttered, her voice muffled by the covers around her neck.

"Yeah," Clark responded. "Goodnight."

**

* * *

**

Clark drifted awake, getting a stronger than normal whiff of Lois's Cucumber Oil tinted scent. His eyes popped open when he remembered what had happened the night before, and how that had led to his being in her bed.

He raised his head a little and silently swore when he discovered that they were spooning. Lois would kill him if she woke up and found him under the covers. How had that happened?

He gently pulled away from her body, listening to her calm breathing to make sure his movements didn't cause her to wake up. He needed to move before she noticed another… erm, reaction.

After detaching himself and sliding out of the bed, he found the large body pillow that had somehow ended up on the floor on his side of the bed, and placed it back in the middle. With a quiet sigh, he headed toward the bathroom. That had been the best he had slept since… well ever.

As he dashed into the bathroom, he didn't see the smile that broke out on Lois's face as her eyes sleepily drifted open.

She yawned and decided to get up and start the Coffee Maker. Sometimes, it was good for a girl to know that she still had it.

**

* * *

**

Lois and Clark were sitting in one of the Planet's conference rooms. Jimmy's research was spread all over the table around them.

"Yes! I knew it!" Lois exclaimed.

They had spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon going through the papers in search of something that would support Lois's theory that Bill Church Sr. was the mastermind behind Intergang- and the man behind the smuggled weapons in the Congo.

The results of the cross-referenced reports showed that Church had definitely had some interaction with Intergang. While it wasn't conclusive, it was enough to make the authorities start turning over some stones.

The door to the room opened, and Perry stuck his head inside. "I need you two out of here, pronto."

Lois spun her chair around to face her boss. "We reserved this room for the entire day, Chief," she protested.

"I know it- and you haven't left it since you got here." Perry gestured to the empty Chinese Food containers on the table, and grunted. "Usually, I'm all for around-the-clock news, but as a charter member of Workaholics Anonymous, I'm doing my civic duty by kicking you out of my newsroom."

"You can't do…" Lois began.

"Actually, I can," Perry interrupted. "Kent, see if you can get your wife to take a walk." Perry knew that Clark had ways of getting Lois to act when no one else could. "I need both of you at the top of your game when this thing starts to go down- so go get some air. I don't expect to see either of you in less than two hours."

Lois glared at Perry's back as he left. "Some people just don't understand that art takes sweat and labor!"

Clark laughed and began gathering the papers into a pile. "He's right, Lois. Let's take a break. There's not much more we can do anyway."

Lois stood and shrugged into her blazer. "Fine, but you're buying the ice cream."

"Rocky Road. I know."

**

* * *

**

Lois dumped her napkins into the trash bin and adjusted her sunglasses. The weather would soon be turning cold, but at the moment, it was pleasantly cool. A great for taking a work break in Centennial Park.

"You see him?" she asked, referring to their ever-present FBI tail.

Clark chuckled. "Yeah. I wonder if he thinks that shirt makes him look casual."

"The Hawaiian print _is_ a bit much," Lois agreed. "And that curly mop of hair is not something I would expect from an agent. I guess that most people would look at him and not have a clue he was with the Feds. That's probably what he is counting on."

Lois tucked her arm into the crook of Clark's elbow and they continued walking through Centennial Park.

After they had walked for a while in silence, Lois turned her head sideways to study Clark's troubled expression.

"What's wrong, Farm Boy? You've got that 'In Serious Thought' look."

Clark didn't answer right away. "Lois…"

Lois arched a brow. "Whoa- this _is_ serious. Do I need to sit down?"

"That might be a good idea."

Lois searched his face inquisitively before moving to sit on the rim of the fountain they were next to. Clark ran a hand through his hair and sat next to her.

"I ran into Lana when I was in Smallville last weekend."

"Oh? How is she?"

"She's fine." Clark frowned. "But that's not why I brought it up."

"Hmm."

"It's just… when I saw her, I remembered how I used to be so immature, and…"

"Naïve," Lois supplied.

Clark smiled and nodded. "…Naïve, I used to be, thinking that I was in love with her. And when I saw her, all I could think about was you."

"She wanted to have dinner, didn't she?"

"Yes… How'd you know?"

Lois chuckled. She knew there was probably more to Lana's sudden re-appearance than a casual dinner. "Women's intuition," she replied, casually. "Why didn't you go? It probably would have been fun catching up with one another."

Clark gave her a strange look. "Because she's not the one I want to catch." He shifted his position so that he was completely facing her. "With all that's going on- with Intergang and the FBI – I just have a feeling that everything's about to boil over, and I need to say something to you before it does."

Lois tilted her head to the side. She had an idea of what he was going to say next.

"I know that we've done some things out of order," he started, reaching into the breast pocket of his suit jacket. "But that doesn't change how I feel. Seeing Lana again made me understand that what I feel for you is something that is going to last forever."

Lois's eyes widened. This wasn't quite what she'd thought it would be.

"I know now that you, Lois Lane, are my soul mate."

The conversation was taking a heavier turn than the simple 'I love you' she had been ready to deflect. Her jaw dropped slightly.

"Six years ago, you helped me make sense of my teenage angst and put the whole cave thing in perspective. I can't imagine a future without you doing the same thing." When he pulled his hand from his pocket, he was holding the silver Kawatche bracelet. "There is no one else for me than you, and to prove it, I want you to have this."

Lois didn't know what to say. She was familiar with the bracelet's history, and wasn't sure if she could… or even if she deserved… to accept it. If she did, there would be no more opportunity to hide.

"It's beautiful," she said, finally finding her voice. She still hadn't made a move to reach for it.

"It's yours."

She tentatively extended her hand to take it. Before touching it, she met his gaze. "Clark…"

"I mean it, Lois."

Lois sighed. Clark had correctly concluded that part of what was making Lois so uncomfortable when he shared his feelings for her was the ease with which he was able to say 'I love you.' Clark had grown up in a family where those words had been freely shared- Lois had not. And in turn, Lois was very careful about who she allowed to reach that status in her life.

Seeing Lana in Smallville reminded him that he had been just as free expressing those sentiments about Lana to anyone who would listen… including to Lois. It was no wonder she was having a hard time believing him when he dropped the L-bomb left and right.

He loved Lois Lane. He had told her. Now, he needed to _show_ her.

Lois took a breath and closed her hand around the band. He had said so much without bringing up the three words she couldn't take seriously. Somewhere down the line, Clark Kent had succeeded in slipping through the chinks in her amour... again. She started rubbing the odd-shaped stone with her thumb.

Immediately, Clark reached to cover his ears, as a piercing ringing sound accosted his senses. Lois didn't hear anything, but could tell he was in pain from the tensed muscles in his jaw.

"Clark, what is it?"

The stone on the bracelet began to faintly glow, and Clark reached for it. "Lois, go home," he groaned. "I need to know… you're safe…"

Lois's brow furrowed with concern, and she reached for his arm. "Clark?"

"The caves…" he said, before pressing a hand against his right ear. "Please."

"All right, I'm going home," she conceded. "What's happening?"

"I don't know." Clark rose to his feet, with Lois doing the same. He took her hand and squeezed it. "I'll be back."

Lois watched as he jogged out of the park, disappearing as he rounded a corner. She began walking toward the car, reaching to pull her cell phone out of her bag as she went.

**

* * *

**

Jonathan picked up the phone on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hi. It's Lois."

"Lois! Hi, I've got a little person right here that's been asking for you. Do you want me to put him on?"

"Not yet. Um, something just happened with Clark."

Jonathan frowned. "What was it?"

"He gave me the bracelet."

Jonathan smiled at the news. He knew what that meant.

"But as soon as I touched it, it started glowing and he grabbed his ears as if he was having a major migraine attack," she continued.

He tightened his hold on the phone. "Is he with you now?"

"No- he took off running right after he said something about the caves. I'm headed home right now, but I wanted to let you know in case…"

The call ended in the middle of her sentence.

"Lois? You there?"

Jonathan tried to call her back a couple of times, but kept getting her voicemail. Hanging up, he dialed the number to Martha's cell phone. He was going to ask her to come home for Cole, while he went out to find their son.

**

* * *

**_

* * *

tbc_


	25. Kismet

**Chp 25 – Kismet**

* * *

_

* * *

__-- Smallville – October 2010 --_

Still grimacing from the piercing noise, Clark stumbled into the hidden cavern behind the cave wall. Everything was just as he'd left it the last time he was there. The three stones that had been one of the focal points of his senior year and beyond, sat mockingly silent in the center of the stone table. The gap in the middle of the three stones brought back the frustration he'd felt when he returned with the third stone.

The stone on the bracelet glowed stronger as he walked closer to the table, and he peered at it curiously. Frowning, Clark snapped the stone away from the band and held it toward the table. The other three crystals began glowing, and he gasped as the small stone from the bracelet seemed to leap from his hand and seat itself in the heart of the compound. It fit perfectly.

The stones seemed to meld together, the creases that lined the joining sections disappearing before his eyes. As the newly created crystal rose from the table under its own power, Clark noticed that it had turned clear, as if made of glass.

In awe, he reached for it, and a bright light exploded around him with great force as his fingers wrapped around its cool surface.

Clark blinked against the bright light as it faded. When he looked around, he found that he was standing in a vast snow covered ice field. He had no idea how he'd gotten there.

Slowly turning in a circle, he noticed a grey dot in the sky. It wasn't moving. Using his enhanced vision, he zoomed in to see that it was a bird- frozen in mid-flight. Looking down, he saw that the crystal was still in his hand. The entire experience was surreal.

"What do you want from me!" he shouted into the cerulean sky.

His voice echoing against the distant mountains was his only answer.

Helplessly, he wondered how he could get home if he didn't even know where he was. Angry, he flung the crystal into the air, throwing it like a football on it's way to a Hail Mary.

His mouth dropped as it hit the snow, and immediately melted through it to the ice below. He heard creaking as the ice floor cracked, causing the ground to shake, and making him stagger.

He wasn't sure, but it looked like Hell was about to break loose.

* * *

Jonathan skidded to a halt in the truck, sending a spray of dirt and rock with the quick action. Leaving the ignition running, he jumped out of the truck and rushed over to the spot where Clark lay crumpled on the ground. Below them, the Kawatche caves walls were shaking, ready to close it doors forever on the secrets that were held there. 

"Clark!" the older man shouted, shaking his son's shoulder. "Come on, Son. We've got to get out of here."

Confused, Clark blinked at his surroundings. "Dad?"

"Yeah. Let's go," Jonathan grunted as he helped pull Clark to his feet. When Clark stumbled, off balance, he pulled Clark's arm around his neck and grabbed his waist. "Are you okay?"

"I think so- my equilibrium is off," Clark answered, leaning on his father as they headed to the truck.

Jonathan helped Clark into the cab and jogged to the other side. Jumping inside, he quickly shifted into gear and spun the wheels in his haste to leave.

"First earthquake in Kansas history. That place is about to be crawling with suits." Jonathan glanced over at Clark, who was leaning heavily against the door. "What happened?"

"I don't know… it was Lois. She was it the entire time."

Jonathan's expression was perplexed as he turned his attention back to the road. "What do you mean?"

"She was the key."

Jonathan shook his head. He had no idea what Clark was babbling about. "Lois called the house. She said that you ran off after she touched the bracelet."

"How long have I been gone?" Clark asked, still dazed.

"Well, judging by the time she called, I'd say almost an hour."

"An hour?" Clark repeated in wonder. It had felt more like 24 of them. He was still having trouble remembering clearly what had happened during that time. There was snow. Birds frozen in the air. The crystal… and something rising from the ice. "I flew."

Jonathan turned at the words. "You what?"

Clark warmed to the memory. "I flew! I can fly. And…" his eyes narrowed as he tried to recall it all. "I'm supposed to do something… I can't remember."

Shaking his head to clear it, he turned to his father with wide eyes. "Dad! I don't have my abilities!"

Jonathan stopped the car. They had just turned into the Kent Farm driveway. "Was it Kryptonite?"

"No. It doesn't feel like it… it doesn't hurt or anything. I just feel… normal." After wishing for that all his life, he decided that normal was overrated. "What do I do?"

Jonathan sighed and eased the truck down the drive to its normal spot. "Well, you were pretty out of it back there, but you're starting to look better now. I'll bet your powers will start coming back little by little. Let's see if your balance is back."

Jonathan got out of the truck and headed around to the passenger side, arriving just as Clark's feet hit the ground. He was still a bit woozy, but his step was a lot firmer than it had been earlier.

"Let's get you inside. Your mother has something she'd like to show you."

"Lois!" Clark exclaimed, worriedly.

"She said she was on her way home when she called."

Clark sighed and nodded. He would get back to Metropolis as soon as he could.

* * *

"Spandex, Mom?" Clark asked, placing a hand over Cole's eyes. 

The little boy was sitting on his lap, giggling and pulling at the hand blocking his view. He thought that it was an elaborate game of peek-a-boo.

Martha smiled and reached for the toddler, pulling him into her arms. "Well, I noticed that your underwear never seemed to get destroyed with all of the times you singed your clothes running through fires…"

Clark blushed. "That's because they were the last line of defense!"

"I think it's your aura- you know how you're able to use your body as a shield? I think that things close to your skin share your invulnerability. _And_ I think the cape would look nice billowing behind you in the wind."

"Billowing?" Clark wasn't sure why he'd allowed himself to get talked into this costume thing. His powers had come back, and he had been experimenting with his new ability to fly. While he had done that, though, his mother had been busy altering designs for a disguise.

She was about as excited as she used to get when it was time to make his Halloween and school play costumes. He shot Cole a sympathetic glance. The poor baby didn't know what he was in for.

"Go try it on," his mother directed, pushing him toward the bathroom.

Clark sighed and gathered the primary-colored fabric into his arms.

* * *

A few minutes later, he stood looking in the mirror. Giving himself an once-over, he had a feeling that people would see more than he wanted them to. He had to admit that the cape was pretty cool. He splashed some water on his hair and slicked it back. The idea was to not look recognizable. He didn't want anyone to know that it was him… in tights. 

There was a knock on the door and it opened a crack, only wide enough for his mother to slip her hand in. She was holding something red and yellow.

Clark looked down at his chest. She had already added a stylized Kryptonian symbol to the front. He had described it to her when his memories of the Arctic castle had started surfacing. He had learned that it had been his family crest on Krypton. The symbol for the House of El.

What more could she possibly add?

"You forgot these," Martha said through the door.

Clark pulled them from her grasp. "What are they?"

"I'm not sure what to call them… briefs, I guess."

"I've got to put these things on under this suit? Who's going to see my underwear?"

He heard his mother chuckle. "No, they go on the outside."

"What!"

"They'll help… cover you up a bit."

Clark glanced down. She was right about that.

He stepped out of the door when he was finished adjusting everything. "Well?"

Martha stepped back in shock. She hadn't been quite prepared for the forceful stature of the man that stepped out of her bathroom. Even Cole gazed at him with a curious unfamiliarity.

"If I didn't know it was you…" Martha began.

"Clark! Martha!" Jonathan called from the lower level. "Come quick!"

They rushed down the stairs and into the den. Jonathan did a double take on Clark before gesturing to the television.

"…The police don't have much to go on right now, but witnesses say that the woman was pulled into a black sedan in the middle of the day. You can see behind me that Centennial Park has been turned into a virtual crime scene. Police say right now that they have no leads on the identity of the woman, and don't know if in fact foul playwas involved. We'll keep you updated as we get learn more. Back to you, Vanessa… And in local news, scientists are at a loss in explaining the recent seismic activity…"

Clark glanced at his parents as the news continued in the background. "Lois."

* * *

_

* * *

_

_tbc_


	26. Flight

**Chp 26 – Flight**

* * *

_

* * *

_

_-- Somewhere Over Metropolis – October 2010 -- _

"Mrs. Lane, we were having such a good time while you were on sabbatical. I was actually starting to enjoy reading the news."

Lois glared at the man seated across from her in the helicopter. Bill Church, Sr. sat smiling at her pleasantly, while two men on either side of her pressed guns into her ribs.

"I knew it was you."

Church laughed conceitedly. "I'm glad. You know, I was getting a little tired of everyone else getting all the credit."

He crossed his legs at the ankle and flicked the ash from his cigar out the open sides of the vehicle.

"If I'd had any idea that you were the one who met my shipment in the Congo, I might have ended your trip a little earlier. I'm happy it turned out this way, though, because now you and I can work together."

"Work together?" she asked, dubiously.

"Yes. You see, even though I was quite thrilled to have you in on our little secret, it's not really something that _everybody_ needs to know, don't you think? I could use your… influence… inside the Planet to keep information on a need to know basis. It _is_ the World's Greatest Newspaper, after all. What you do, others will follow."

Lois lifted her head, jutting her chin out in an expression of defiance. "I'll never work for you, Church."

Church put on a face of disappointment. "You were quite clever to hide him in Smallville, but you didn't really think we wouldn't track him down, did you?"

Lois eyes widened as the lackey on her right placed a picture of Cole on her lap.

Church seemed to be pleased with her reaction. "As I always say, a mother's love is exploitable. You scratch my back… and we won't have to scratch his."

Lois looked up from the picture with a firm expression. "You've underestimated one thing about mothers in all of this, Church."

He smirked and looked on with interest. "Really? What is that?"

With a quick movement, Lois had twisted the gun out of one of the lackey's hands, and was standing at the side of the helicopter, with her back to the open door. "A mother's willingness to sacrifice her life for her child's safety."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lois saw the second lackey point his gun toward her and thumb off the weapon's safety. Her eyes bulged- she hadn't counted on them actually firing.

"Don't shoot, you'll get us all killed!" Church yelled.

But it was too late, the man had already started pulling the trigger.

With a scream, Lois tumbled backwards out of the helicopter, squeezing off a few rounds as she did so. One of her bullets hit the fuel tank, and the copter's tail swung sideways and dipped, while the pilot fought to keep control of the machine.

She was falling so fast that she struggled as she fought to flip the safety back on and tuck the gun into her waistband.

She mentally laughed at the irony. Here she was plummeting to certain death, and she was worried about a gun falling from the sky and injuring someone.

This is the one time I wish a bullet had actually hit me, she snarked to herself. Anything was better than this. At least they won't be getting too far, she comforted herself, as the helicopter faltered in the sky and dipped lower. The General would be proud of her marksmanship.

She closed her eyes and waited for the ground to arrive.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt her rapid descent halt. She was wrapped in a pair of strong arms.

"Going down?"

Lois blinked deliriously. The light from the sun blinded her and caused the face of her angel to be hidden in shadows.

He had to be an angel- he was taking her to heaven right? Her thoughts spun in her mind. Wait a minute- Didn't he say 'going down'? Wrong kind of angel!

**

* * *

**

"Lois?" Clark gazed at her in concern. A myriad of expressions were crossing her face, but she had yet to respond audibly. "Lois?"

They were nearing the ground, and Clark could see the gathering vehicles on the tarmac. It was a good thing the helicopter hadn't gotten too far from the airport. Thinking of the copter, Clark located it in the sky with his gaze. Even trailing fuel, the pilot was attempting to fly away from the area.

He had some bad guys to catch.

He landed, and gently set Lois on her feet in front of a dazed paramedic.

"I think she's suffering from shock," he told the man.

The paramedic continued to stare at him with his mouth gaping open. Clark wondered if the man was suffering from the same malaise.

"Hey!" he yelled, snapping his fingers in front of the man's face. "She needs help."

The man shook his head to clear his mind and accepted Lois's shoulders as Clark leaned her toward him. "Uh, yes. Okay, thanks."

A group of people, made up of police, bystanders, and newly arriving reporters began crowding around. The police, after overcoming their own shock, fought to keep the crowd a respectable distance away from the ambulance. They needed to analyze the potential threat of the situation before allowing civilian interaction.

Questions were being shouted, but only one was heard clearly above the rest. "Who are you?"

Clark turned to face them with a chiseled expression. "A friend."

He took one last look at the paramedic and Lois, and nodded. Raising one arm above his head, he bent his knees and launched into the air.

**

* * *

**

Lois shook off the blanket that had been draped over her shoulders and jumped from the back of the ambulance. Aside for a few minor scrapes, she had been given a clean bill of health.

Around her, everyone's eyes were trained to the sky, watching the blue-clad figure pull the flailing chopper to the ground.

Lois made her way to a familiar car. "Excuse me!" she called, getting the attention of the undercover agent that had been tailing them.

"I guess I have you to thank for the fireworks," she said. When his eyebrows creased in confusion, she laughed. "For calling for backup…Agent Scardino, right?"

A wide grin broke across his face. "You knew?"

She nodded.

"The whole time?" he asked in wonder.

She nodded again, and held out a hand. "I guess it's time we met face-to-face, Scardino. I'm Lois Lane."

The agent accepted her hand and squeezed it lightly as they shook. "Call me Dan. Please."

"It's the shirts isn't it?" he asked, lifting one side of his Hawaiian shirt. "I need blousy shirts to cover the gun, but these seemed to work better in Miami." He shot her another grin.

Lois smirked. "I'm more of a plaid type."

"Plaid? I wouldn't have guessed that."

She shrugged and fought the wind for control of her hair. "I'm really glad you were at the park today. If you hadn't seen those goons come after me…"

"Hey- you're welcome. But it's that guy over there who pulled you out of the sky." Dan pointed to the caped figure helping the police restrain the helicopter's passengers. "That was amazing. I've never seen anything like that in my life."

"Yeah," Lois agreed, a slight smile on her lips as she watched the scene as well. "He's… super."

Three agents in dark suits and trench coats exited a dark sedan and ran over to where they were standing. As they approached, Scardino straightened.

"Scardino!" Agent Grayson barked as he neared, flanked by Cortez and Richards.

"Sir," Dan acknowledged. "Our guys are apprehending the parties in question as we speak."

Grayson turned to face Lois. "Is there anything you need?"

Lois turned her head toward the grounded chopper. "Just my husband," she said softly.

**

* * *

**

Clark's head snapped up as he heard the quiet admission. He had been trying to stay attuned to Lois since he had handed her over to be treated. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that she was looking at him with a half-smile on her lips. Fighting to keep his expression blank, he turned back to the helicopter. Seeing that the authorities had everything under control, he gave a curt nod.

"Gentlemen, Ladies," he saluted, lifting into the air.

Once again, every eye followed as he rose. They watched as he shifted positions in mid-air and sped out of sight, leaving a sonic boom in his wake.

**

* * *

**

Clark adjusted his tie as he jogged onto the tarmac. "Lois!" he called.

Lois turned at the sound of her name, and smiled. Leaving the group of agents, she ran toward him.

When they collided, Clark wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her from the ground. With her arms wrapped around his neck, Lois caught his lips with hers.

"I got here as fast as I could," he mumbled into her neck, as the kiss moved into a tight hug.

"You're timing was perfect."

He lowered her to the ground.

"You can fly…" she muttered under her breath.

Clark glanced at the waiting agents, standing a few yards away. "It's a long story."

Lois snaked a finger between the buttons on his shirt. "Spandex?"

Clark caught her hand. "Hey, it takes a real man to wear tights!" Gazing in her eyes, he placed a hand on the side of her face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "God, Lois. I'm so glad that you're okay."

She reached up and covered his hand with her own. "Me too."

Clark leaned in for another kiss and they walked to the agents arm in arm.

**

* * *

**_

* * *

__tbc_


	27. Upshot

**Chp 27 – Upshot**

* * *

**

* * *

**

_-- Daily Planet, Metropolis – October 2010 --_

Perry walked over to the group of journalists that were crowded around the TV bay, watching yet another report about the flying man. The TV networks were all using recycled footage, and none had any additional information about where he came from. The "a friend," sound bite was played over and over, as the panelists from "Metropolis Minute," attempted to analyze his voice for any traces of an accent.

"Great shades of Elvis!" Perry yelled, getting everyone's attention. "A man goes flying around the city in his underwear, and the reporters from the World's Greatest are standing around watching it happen! I don't need standing! I need investigating! Who's going to get me a story?"

As his reporters started scattering, Perry noticed a couple of them exiting the elevator. "And what in Sam Hill are you two doing here?"

"I've got the exclusive," Lois remarked, holding her notebook up.

Perry was torn. The girl had been thrown from a helicopter in mid-flight, so he should be ordering her out of his sight… but then again, she had just claimed to have what was going to be the article of the century. Hell, scratch that- of the millennium.

"See, now that's what I'm talking about!" Perry announced. "Jimmy- Stop the presses!"

He walked over to Lois and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I've always wanted to say that," he confided under his breath. "Now, honey, you go ahead and get that interview typed up, but after that, you hightail it out of here. I don't want to see you until the next full moon, got that?I think there's a little boy who's in need of some pure grade, quality time, if you know what I mean."

He turned to Clark. "You make sure that happens."

Clark smiled and nodded. "Absolutely."

"Good." Perry released Lois and turned to walk away.

"But what about my other articles?"

Perry turned to face his favorite reporter. "Intergang will be here when you get back. And for the other stuff… I've got two words for ya: Tele. Commute. Now scat."

**

* * *

**

Lois and Clark holed up in a conference room as they worked to finish up a write-up on Lois's interaction with Bill Church Sr. She couldn't release many of the details, but the public would be enthralled by the basic story. It had been a long day.

After meeting with the Feds, they had been grilled by the police. The Planet's insurance company had required that a physician check Lois over again, and the exclusive interview with the new superhero had made it just in time for the Late Edition. Lois had been adamant about finishing as many articles as possible before they left for Smallville, saying she planned on spending at least a few days without touching her laptop.

Clark didn't have much hope for that plan succeeding, but went along with it anyway.

"Let's wait to head to the farm in the morning," Clark said, glancing across the table where Lois was massaging the back of her neck with one hand, while typing with the other.

She looked up at from her laptop and smiled. "Good idea."

Clark pulled a copy of the Late Edition from the pile on the table. "Superman?"

The front page was dominated by a 42-point headline declaring 'My Interview with Superman. An exclusive by Lois Lane.'

"I like the sound of it," she explained, smirking.

"Isn't it a little… egotistical?"

"Oh, don't tell me you're embarrassed!" She could see that he was.

She saved her current document and walked to stand behind his chair. Leaning down, she placed her chin on his shoulder and crossed her arms on his chest. Together they looked at the paper.

"The name is the last thing you should be worried about," she offered, lightly.

Clark gazed at the picture. In it, Superman was launching himself into the sky, one arm pointing upward, and the other bent at his side.

"I knew those underwear things were a bit much. It's the yellow belt. Too many colors."

Lois laughed, her breath tickling his ear. "This coming from the King of Plaid. Maybe we should ask Perry to move you to Fashion and Style."

Clark set the paper on the table and swiveled his chair around to face her. "But then you'd miss me."

Lois arched an eyebrow. "I might."

A knock rapped on the door right before it swung open. "Lois, you've got a call on Line One."

Lois straightened and faced Jimmy. "Who is it?"

"Your father."

Her eyes narrowed and she moved back to her seat. "Take a message."

"Lois," Clark began.

She held up a hand to stop him. "I'm not in the mood for him today, Clark. We'll have to postpone the whole olive branch ceremony for a while, okay? I don't need anymore drama right now."

"I'm sure he's seen the news and just wants to make sure you're okay," Clark said.

"Tell him I'm okay, and then take a message," she instructed Jimmy, who was silently watching the dynamics in the room.

Lois turned to Clark. "Look, I'll talk to him eventually, and when I do, you can mediate. Better yet, we'll get this guy to do it," she said, pointing to the picture of Superman.

Clark eyed her for a minute. "Take a message, Jim."

"Got it." Jimmy gave each of them a final look and left, pulling the door shut behind him.

Lois sat down and started typing again. "There. Finished," she announced, clenching and unclenching her hands to stretch her fingers. "Can we go home now?"

**

* * *

**

"About that interview…"

Lois finished brushing her teeth and spat into the sink. While rinsing her toothbrush, she turned to face Clark, where he was standing in the doorframe of the bathroom.

"Yeah, what about it?" she asked.

"I did mention that it was going to cost you, didn't I?"

Lois turned off the water and put her toothbrush into its holder. "I think I remember you saying something like that. How much?"

Clark smiled and moved to the side so she could exit. "You're in luck. I'm running a special."

"Which is?"

"Me not sleeping on the couch." He fixed her with his best puppy-dog look.

Lois tried to hold off a grin. "You could fly," she offered.

Clark pouted, and she released a laugh. The truth was, after the intense action of the day, they both wanted the comfort from being near each other. They both wanted it, but neither knew how to approach it.

Lois had almost died. Yes, it wasn't the first time, but it was the first time she hadn't seen any way out of it. Not until a pair of arms snatched her out of the way.

For Clark, his world had been turned upside down. It had been busted apart, and rebuilt in ice around him. He now understood how he could finally be himself, _and_ be who he was always meant to be. The one thing that had remained constant through it all was the importance of the woman standing before him.

They stared at one another for a prolonged moment. Lois had been shocked to the core when he had told her what he remembered about the events that had taken place after she touched the stone.

It seemed that the destiny both sought for themselves had been intertwined from the start.

"Okay," she said, turning to walk to her room. "But see if you can stay on your side this time."

Clark blushed and followed her.

**

* * *

**

Lois sighed. She couldn't sleep. "Clark," she whispered. "You awake?"

"Yeah."

She rolled over onto her stomach and turned her head in his direction.

"So what are you going to do? Start patrols like a police officer or something like that?"

"I guess so. I'm not really sure. Doing patrols sounds like a good idea."

Lois rose to her elbows and gazed down at him. "I couldn't remember if I thanked you earlier."

Clark shrugged. "You don't have to."

"Maybe not," she said. She was silent for a few moments. "I love you."

Clark's breath caught in his throat at the words. He was momentarily stunned, but refocused when he realized that she was still talking.

"I want to tell you that now- not because you can fly, or because you're about to become Metropolis's biggest celebrity … I don't want you to think that I want you for your money," Lois explained.

Clark couldn't control the grin that took over his face. "No?"

"But I _do_ want you for your body," she teased, running a finger over his t-shirt clad chest.

Unlike the night before, Clark couldn't control the groan that escaped as her soft touch attacked his will. "Lois," he moaned. "What are you doing?"

She laughed and slid her hand to his side. "Trying to see if you're ticklish."

Clark shot her a smug grin. "Well, you can't get me there. I'm not ticklish."

"Oh," Lois frowned, disappointed. She began to pull her hand away, but in a quick move, changed direction, and traced her nails down the inside of his nearest leg, testing the sensitive skin exposed by his sleeping shorts.

Clark let out a surprised yell, and grabbed for the offending hand. He rolled her onto her back, and pinned her arms above her head.

Lois was having trouble catching her breath as she was overcome with laughter. "Sorry, I had to try. You can't tell a Lane that there's something she can't do."

Clark glared at her for a minute, and then his gaze softened. "I love you."

Lois smiled up at him. "I know."

Clark grinned as he leaned down to kiss her. From the look in her eyes, he knew that she finally did.

**

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tbc_


	28. Convergence

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**Chp 28 – Convergence**

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_-- Metropolis – October 2010 --_

Lois opened her eyes and smiled as she found that she was already the object of someone's focus. "What time is it?" she asked, stretching.

Clark reached out to brush hair from her forehead and placed a kiss in the revealed spot. "Early."

Lois frowned, lifting her head to see the bedroom window. "Early, what?"

"Early afternoon."

"We're late!" she exclaimed, pushing him off of her. She loved the fact that he had a super stamina, but it had resulted in them being up until the edges of sunlight had graced the horizon.

She jumped out of the bed, pulling the top sheet with her, and wrapped it around her body. "We were supposed to be in Smallville by now!"

Clark watched as she dug in the top drawer of her dresser for undergarments. "We've got plenty of time," he told her.

"Not if we're driving…" She turned and gave him a pointed look. "And we _are_ driving, Fly Boy." She darted out of the room and headed to the bathroom. "Call your parents and tell them we're on our way!" she shouted, shutting the door behind her.

Clark resisted the temptation to peek. If he did, they would probably never leave.

**

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__-- Smallville – October 2010 --_

Lois bounded up the porch stairs and into the outstretched arms of Martha Kent. Coming here always felt like coming home to her. They parted after a long embrace and Martha placed a kiss on her cheek. With a grin, Lois turned to hug Jonathan. When everyone had been greeted, they went inside.

"Where's Cole," Lois asked.

"He hasn't been sleeping well the past few days. I finally got him down for a nap, but you can go wake him if you want," Martha explained.

Lois shook her head. "No, I want him to rest, but I will go up and take a peek."

Jonathan clapped Clark on the shoulder. "You think you can give me a hand in the barn?"

"Yeah, no problem." Clark glanced at Lois, and turned to follow his father back outside, while Lois smirked and headed up the stairs.

Martha caught a soft undertone in the interaction and smiled. It was about time her kids found each other again.**

* * *

**

Clark entered the kitchen and quietly climbed the stairs so he could wash up in the bathroom. Lois and his mother were talking in the den, catching up, and enjoying each other's company.

After drying his hands on a towel, he peeked into his old room to check on Cole. He smiled when he saw that the little boy was standing in the crib, seeming to contemplate how he was going to escape its bars. If he was anything like his mother, nothing would be able to hold him for long.

Clark stepped into the room.

"Hi, Daddee," Cole sang out, bouncing on the mattress.

"Hey, Big Guy. You ready to get up?"

Cole nodded his hands and reached for Clark, indicating he wanted to be picked up. When Clark complied, Cole wrapped his arms around his neck and squeezed. Clark kissed him on the cheek and carried him toward the door.

"I missed you, Buddy," he whispered.

At the stairs, Clark shifted Cole to his side so he could use a hand to unlatch the baby gate that blocked the way. Cole laid his head on Clark's shoulder and reached out to grab his father's nose.

"Hey, that's mine," Clark teased, moving his face side to side as he and the giggling child descended.

When they reached the landing, the laughing voices from the den became audible. Cole's head popped up from Clark's shoulder, and he looked around the room curiously. Lois laughed again, and Cole looked at his father with wide eyes.

Clark smiled at his expression. "Who is that?"

Cole pushed against Clark's chest and would have jumped out of his arms if Clark hadn't set him on the floor. As soon as his feet touched, he scrambled through the archway to the den.

Lois turned just in time to catch the bundle of energy that launched itself toward the couch.

"Hi, Baby!" she exclaimed as Cole tightly wrapped himself around her.

Martha laughed. She didn't think that Cole was planning to let Lois go anytime soon.

**

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**

Clark frowned at the twin bed in Cole's room. The little white teddy bear seated on the pillow was going to his only company for the night.

Cole had clung to Lois for the rest of the night, whimpering anytime she put him down. Clark had some sympathy for the child- he was addicted to her, too.

Finally, the child had grown sleepy, curled in Lois's lap, but this time it was she that was reluctant to let go. She had taken Cole to the attic room so that she could spend the night holding him, just as she once did when he was a baby.

Clark glared at the teddy bear and flopped onto the bed. "Lucky, kid," he muttered, gazing up at the ceiling longingly.

**

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**

The next day marked the next appearance by Superman. He flew the skies of Metropolis, stopping burglaries, preventing accidents, and catching crooks. He even pulled a young girl's cat out of a tree for good measure. By the end of the day, everyone in Metropolis knew that Superman had arrived.

Clark flew back to the farm that night with a troubled mind. The events of that day had revealed to him just how demanding this second job could potentially be. Already, the criminal element had begun to get more drastic in their approaches, testing the super hero's ability to fight crime. And he had hardly even started.

Clark made his way up the stairs and ran into Lois as she stepped out of Cole's room.

"Looks like you had an eventful day," she commented. "The news couldn't get enough of 'Superman to the rescue.'"

Clark smiled at her and peeked into the room at the sleeping child. "I didn't get a chance to say goodnight."

"I told him for you," she assured, patting his chest as she stepped past him and walked toward the stairs to the attic.

Clark turned and trailed behind her.

"Where are you going?" Lois asked.

"Can I stay in the big bed tonight?" Clark pleaded in a childlike tone.

Lois's gaze flicked over his shoulder. "We can't do that! Your parents!" She shook her head.

"What about them," Clark asked, stepping closer.

"No."

"But we're married," he persisted.

"Not _really_. Remember the shower incident? We don't want to revisit that."

Clark frowned. "Come on, Lois. They wouldn't care. We have a son. They know we did _something_ for him to get here."

"Maybe, but they don't know that we've done that _something_ since then!"

"Please- we won't do anything. Just for a little while- I promise I'll leave before morning."

Lois narrowed her eyes as she studied his face. She could see that something was weighing on his mind.

"Okay," she sighed, taking his hand.

After entering the room, they slid under the covers. Clark pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. Soon they were both asleep.

**

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**

When Rusty, the old crow, announced daybreak, Clark jumped from the bed. He must have slept too well because he'd forgotten to sneak back to the nursery. He crept softly down the steps to the second level, attempting to get there without being discovered. When he reached the last stair, his father stepped from his parent's room.

Clark's cheeks flushed at his father's pointed look. "Uh, morning Dad." He gestured to the stairs behind him. "I was just… sleepwalking?" he attempted.

Jonathan successfully hid his smirk behind a stern parental expression. "Clark."

Clark shrugged. "Yeah, sorry. That was bad. But nothing happened. Honest."

"So, you're going to tell me that you just talked?"

Clark's head bobbed as he nodded emphatically, then slowed when he realized that the motion probably made it look worse.

Jonathan's eyebrows rose. "Well, since you're already up, you won't mind helping me mend some fences, will you?"

"Yes, sir. I mean, No. Um, I'll be glad to help."

**

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**

Lois pulled her jacket tighter around her and climbed the steps to the loft. She shook her head as she took in Clark's profile as he stood gazing through the opening that served as his window. It was just like old times.

She stepped up next to him and ran a hand along the surface of his old telescope. "We need to talk about last night."

Clark turned to face her. "I'm sorry... I should have left earlier," he offered, guiltily.

"That's not what I'm talking about," she said, her eyes meeting his. "It's Superman. Something happened yesterday. What was it?"

Clark smirked. She had always been able to read him like a book. "I… um, decided not to be Superman anymore."

Lois's eyes grew wide. "You what!"

Clark looked down at his hands. "I was flying around all day yesterday, and there was still more to be done. I stopped because I felt that it was time to come home, but I probably should have kept going. Did you see what the editor of the Star wrote today?"

The Metropolis Star, a rival newspaper to the Planet, had run a short opinion piece that had accused Superman of having a hidden agenda behind his benevolent acts. It urged the public to not allow an _alien_ to have the power of authority in their lives.

The article wasn't the only issue Clark was dealing with. While he had been gone, the rest of his family had been enjoying themselves. His mother had excitedly described the pictures she had been able to take of Cole and Lois interacting on the farm. She had even shown him one photo that she'd developed the night before. It showed mother and son, asleep, with Lois's arms curled protectively around Cole. This was his family, and he wanted to be part of it whole-heartedly.

"I remembered that you said you had a hard time sharing people- and I don't want you to have to do that with me. The cape just takes all of that away. This way, you don't have to share me with the world."

Lois glared at him; her face turning red with anger. "You decided?" she spat. "What happened to the team? You remember that speech you gave me about us doing this thing together? About the _team_ making decisions that affected the team?"

She turned and stalked toward the stairs, stopping when she reached them to turn and face him. "And the Star?" She walked back toward him, pointing a finger at him. "Why would you even stoop so low as to read that drivel? Pierson's an idiot! If you had taken the time to read the responses, you would see that the entire city is behind '_the cape_.'"

She spun around and walked back the stairs. "And now you just want to quit?" she demanded, halting on the first step to face him again. "News flash, for you Kent. Superman isn't about you… or me, or Cole… he's about hope. Sure there was more you probably could have done. And that will be true every day… but there's something else that will happen every day. People will start to become more confident in doing what's right. Superman can't save everyone, but he can set an example, and help people save each other… and save themselves."

Lois went down one more step, before turned to glare. "Even after all this time- after everything that's happened- you're still looking for black and white in a world of colors, aren't you? You have to learn balance- sometimes you can fly as the boy wonder, other times you walk as Clark Kent. It's not about what Superman can't do. What ever he can do… it's enough."

She sighed. "I told you I wouldn't be the one to hold you back. If it's me and Cole that are causing the distraction- we can get out of your way." With a flip of her hair, she stomped down the rest of the stairs and out of the barn.

Clark stood dumbfounded. He had made the decision out of a desire to prove his love to her. The actual outcome was not quite what he'd bargained for. With a start, he came to his senses and sped out of the barn.

He stopped in front of her just as she reached the porch. She jumped slightly at his sudden appearance, but shook off the surprise and moved to go around him.

Clark reached out and took her shoulders. "Lois, you didn't mean that about you and Cole leaving, did you?"

She sighed and looked away from him. "No. I didn't." She ran a hand through her hair. "But you make me so _frustrated_!"

He dropped his arms, shaking his head in relief. "I'm sorry."

Lois stepped past him and sat on the second porch stair. "You don't get it. I used to think that love was about sacrifice. All I knew to do was to put what I wanted aside so that I could make sure that the people I loved _knew_ that I loved them. That's what I did for Lucy, for my father… for Cole… for you. But I've started to understand that I was wrong."

She looked up and extended a hand, waiting until he took it before she continued. "Love is not about sacrifice. It's about compromise. No one person should be the one to give all- and no one person should be the one to take all. We've got to meet somewhere in the middle if this thing is going to work. If I were to accept you giving up your powers, or giving up the suit, I wouldn't be accepting all of you. I don't like to share- but I'm willing to share you… a little bit," she added with a smirk. "Because I love you."

Clark gazed into her eyes. He didn't know what to say.

Lois smiled softly at his expression. "Yes. I love you. There's no telling what's going to happen, and how it's going to affect us as a family- but for now, the fact that I love you, and you love me- that's enough. We can work out the details later…"

Clark bent down and halted the rest of her speech with his lips. He was still worried about how Superman would change their lives, but felt that they could work that out together. The kiss broke and he moved to sit on the step behind her so he could wrap his arms around her from behind.

Lois pulled something from her pocket and reached over her shoulder to hand it to him.

Clark pulled the wedding band from her hand and looked at her with a perplexed expression. "Why are you giving this back?"

Lois shifted her position so she could see him. "So that you can ask for real."

Clark smiled and slipped the ring into the pocket of his jeans.

Lois frowned at the action. "Aren't you going to ask?" she questioned, surprised. "We're having a moment, here… in case you missed it!"

Clark turned her back around and placed his chin on her shoulder, so they could gaze out at the fields together. "I'm going to ask. Just not yet."

Lois was appalled. How dare he make her wait? "And what if I don't want to say yes by the time you get around to it?"

"You'll say yes," he replied confidently.

Lois elbowed him. "Well, you can forget about the _benefits_ of this arrangement until then."

Clark laughed and pressed a kiss against a special spot behind her ear. "We'll see about that."

**

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**

Clark's parents smiled at one other as they approached the house. Cole was walking in-between them, holding tightly to their hands as he jumped over imaginary pits in the path. They were returning from an afternoon walk, and Martha had her camera hanging around her neck. She had gotten a number of great shots of her favorite three-year old model.

Winking at her husband, she released Cole's hand and lifted the camera to her eye. Zooming in she took a couple of snapshots of the couple sitting on the porch steps. The image of Clark nuzzling against Lois's ear as she playfully swatted him away was too good to pass up.

Cole noticed the two and shot away from his grandparents, running to take his place on Lois's lap. He still was a little bit clingy after spending so long away from her. Lois laughed as she scooped him up, and soon she was fighting off the affections of both of her men, as Cole had decided that he needed to kiss her, too.

Martha had finished a second role of film by the time they all were ready to go inside for hot chocolate.

**

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tbc_


	29. Epilogue

**Chp 29 – Epilogue**

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_-- Metropolis – December 2010 --_

Clark couldn't help but wonder if he was the only one feeling the tension in the room. Lois had been serious about canceling the benefits portion of their relationship. She still allowed him to share her bed, but she was surprisingly resistant to all of his charms. He was starting to think that _she_ was the one made of steel.

"I think it's time I move into Cole's room," he announced. They had finally bought a twin bed for Cole's room like the one in his room on the farm.

Lois was sitting at the computer typing up some notes for their latest investigation. She turned to face him with an arched eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Clark shrugged. "Until it's official," he replied, cryptically.

Lois frowned. "I don't get it."

"Well, then, you're the only one. I get it. Cole gets it."

Lois glanced at her son. He was sitting on the floor with his father, giving her a grin that was an identical copy of Clark's. "So what is it that you guys know that I don't?"

Clark leaned down and conspiratorially whispered into the boy's ear, sending him into peals of laughter. Lois narrowed her eyes, suspiciously.

"Uh oh," Clark said, teasingly, at her look. "I think you better tell her, Cole."

Cole grinned and brought her the old plastic coffee container that was used to hold his blocks. Lois took it from him and looked inside. On top of the stack sat a velvet ring box.

Lois pulled the box out, reaching over to ruffle Cole's hair. She leaned down to kiss him on the nose. "Thank you, honey."

"Welcome, honey!" he replied, scrambling back to his father.

Lois opened the velvet box and took the ring out. "Official, huh?" She held it against her lips in a thoughtful pose. "Why can't we just go on like we are? People still think we're married."

"There are things we can do when it's official," Clark hinted.

Lois pretended to not understand his allusion. "Like what?"

"Like sleep in the same be at my parent's house."

Lois was unmoved. "We already do that."

"We can do it without sneaking!"

Lois laughed and returned the ring to the box. "I don't think we're fooling your parents with that." She turned back to the computer and began typing.

Clark stood, picking Cole up as he did so. "Time for bed, Buddy."

After Cole had gotten his mandatory kiss and belly rub from Lois, Clark deposited him in his crib and turned on his musical lamp.

He walked back into the living area and started straightening Cole's toys. "We could skinny dip," he offered.

"Nah," Lois returned without turning around. "You don't leave much to the imagination with that suit you wear."

Clark stepped up and kissed her on her neck. "We could do a lot more of this…" He kissed her again, and moved a hand to her stomach.

She moaned but pushed his hand away. "If that's the only reason you've got, then I'm going to have to decline." She moved a hand to the computer's mouse and focused on the screen. "I'm holding out for man who loves me for my mind, and not my body."

Clark quickly spun the chair around, causing her to yelp.

"I _do_ love your mind. Your body…" He let his eyes roam. "Your moods… well, in spite of your moods, that is."

"Hey!"

"But how about, just because I love _you_?"

Lois smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck. "In that case… I say, name the date."

Smiling, he pulled her from the chair and wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing her deeply as he carried her to the bedroom. Laying her on the bed, he placed a kiss on neck, and ran a hand under her shirt, lightly grazing her stomach. Lois reached for him, but he stepped away from the bed, and walked to the door.

"Sorry. Not until it's official." With a wink, Clark left the room.

Lois glared at the ceiling. "You are so going to pay for that," she muttered under her breath. "And payback is a bi…"

"I can _hear_ you, you know," he called.

Lois laughed and rolled onto her stomach, snuggling into her pillow.

In the living area, Clark listened to her low chuckle and fought to control his own libido. He was suffering from his own teasing. She had commented on payback, but she didn't know the half of it. If his current situation was any indication of what he was in for- he didn't think he would make it.

Whatever the future held for Lane, Kent and Co- he knew it would never be dull.

Lying in her bed with a satisfied grin on her face, Lois was thinking the exact same thing.

**

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_FIN_


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